DeJane Reaniece Lattany, a Denver resident, will spend the next four years in federal prison after admitting to a brazen scheme to steal over $3.3 million in COVID-19 relief funds. Lattany didn’t build a legitimate business; she built a house of lies, submitting fraudulent applications for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, all to line her own pockets.
The feds say Lattany fabricated details about businesses she claimed to own, inflating employee numbers, revenue, and expenses on applications to the Small Business Administration (SBA). She didn’t just exaggerate – the applications were riddled with outright falsehoods, all designed to qualify for funds meant to keep legitimate businesses afloat during the pandemic. The SBA, overwhelmed by applications, initially approved five EIDL loans and three related grants totaling $450,000, plus a staggering $2,887,976.94 in PPP loans.
Lattany didn’t stop at securing the loans. She then filed fraudulent forgiveness applications, further cementing her deception. These applications contained more lies about business ownership, payroll, and employee counts. Instead of using the money to cover payroll or legitimate business expenses, as required by the programs, Lattany diverted the vast majority to personal spending. She treated the CARES Act like her personal ATM, draining millions from a system designed to help those genuinely in need.
U.S. District Court Judge Nina Y. Wang didn’t show leniency. Beyond the four-year prison sentence, Lattany was ordered to repay the full $3.3 million she stole, plus accrued interest. This isn’t just about jail time; it’s about holding her accountable for the damage she inflicted on a program intended to support struggling Americans. The FBI Denver Division led the investigation, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys handling the prosecution.
This case is part of a larger, nationwide effort by the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force, established to combat the rampant abuse of pandemic relief programs. Federal prosecutors are aggressively pursuing individuals and organizations who exploited the crisis for personal gain, and Lattany’s sentence sends a clear message: defrauding these programs will have serious consequences. The Task Force is a multi-agency operation, combining the resources of numerous federal agencies to track down and prosecute these crimes.
If you suspect CARES Act fraud, the feds want to know. You can report it to the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) – details are available on their website. Don’t assume someone else is handling it. Every tip, no matter how small, can help investigators build cases and recover stolen funds. The pandemic was hard enough without criminals like Lattany preying on the system.
RELATED: Fentanyl Killed a Colorado Teen: Dealer Gets 20 Years
RELATED: Hate-Fueled Threats: NYC Woman Targets Denver LGBTQ Spots
Related Federal Cases
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly.
Subscribe free →
Browse More
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
White Collar CrimeWhite Collar CrimeWhite Collar CrimeWhite Collar Crime