Greensboro Woman Scams COVID Funds, Faces 20 Years

GREENSBORO, NC – Shakerra Aarka Jones, 48, of Forsyth County, is facing a potential twenty-year prison sentence after admitting to a brazen scheme to defraud the U.S. Treasury and Forsyth County’s Department of Social Services. Jones pleaded guilty Tuesday, August 6, to one count of wire fraud, according to a statement from United States Attorney Clifton T. Barrett for the Middle District of North Carolina. The crime? Stealing funds meant to keep roofs over the heads of struggling residents during the height of the pandemic.

The scheme unfolded in 2021 and 2022, targeting the City of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) Program. The ERA program was designed to provide a lifeline to low-income residents falling behind on rent and utilities due to the economic fallout of COVID-19. Legitimate applicants had to prove their need and landlords had to verify the debt. Jones bypassed the system with a calculated forgery operation.

Court documents reveal Jones, operating under her business, BAS Tax Service, falsely presented herself as a property owner in numerous applications. The catch? Neither Jones nor BAS Tax Service owned any property. She fabricated rental agreements, arrears letters, and property management agreements, complete with forged signatures and outright lies, to convince officials she was owed back rent. It was a calculated gamble, preying on a system designed to help those truly in need.

When the fraudulent applications were approved, checks totaling $135,501 were issued to BAS Tax Service. With one exception, Jones promptly deposited the money into a bank account under the name Shakerra Jones d/b/a BAS Tax Service – directly lining her own pockets. The funds, earmarked for vulnerable families, were instead diverted for personal enrichment. This wasn’t a mistake; it was a deliberate act of theft.

Jones is scheduled to be sentenced on November 24, 2025, at 11:30 a.m. before United States District Judge William L. Osteen, Jr. in Greensboro. Beyond the potential twenty-year prison term, she faces up to three years of supervised release and significant monetary penalties. The investigation was a joint effort by the United States Secret Service, the Winston-Salem Police Department, and the Forsyth County Department of Social Services Program Integrity Unit, highlighting the multi-agency response to pandemic-related fraud.

Assistant United States Attorney Laura Jeanne Dildine is prosecuting the case. This conviction serves as a warning: those who attempt to exploit emergency assistance programs for personal gain will be held accountable. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on the sentencing.