Janet Jenison, COVID-19 Relief Fraud, Ohio 2021

Columbus woman sentenced to pay $250,000 for COVID-19 relief fraud

In a federal court in Columbus, Ohio, Janet Jenison, 38, was sentenced to pay $250,000, the maximum amount allowed by law, for committing COVID-19 relief fraud. The fine was in addition to the $128,783.04 in restitution she was ordered to pay.

Jenison was convicted of three counts of wire fraud and one count of making a false statement on a Paycheck Protection Program loan application. The charges were filed by bill of information in May 2021, and she pleaded guilty in July 2021.

According to court documents, Jenison submitted three fraudulent applications to obtain Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans for Janet Minton Marketing, LLC, a business registered in her maiden name. The applications collectively sought $298,719.67 in fraudulent loans. Two of the applications were approved, and a financial institution disbursed $160,247.

Jenison created false Fifth Third Bank account statements for her business for the period Feb. 8, 2020 to March 6, 2020. The bank statements showed debits for payroll, tax withholding, and business expenses. The business account at Fifth Third Bank was not opened until April 27, 2020.

Jenison also submitted false tax documents. One document claimed she elected for her marketing business to be classified as a corporation and was dated Jan. 24, 2020, but the employer identification number on the form was not created until four months later. The defendant also made false claims about federal employment tax deposits.

Jenison was interviewed by law enforcement in March 2021 and admitted to creating the false documents submitted in support of the applications. As part of her sentence, Jenison was ordered to serve five years of probation, including six months of home confinement.

U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Bryant Jackson, and officials with the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration announced the sentence imposed today by Chief U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter K. Glenn-Applegate represented the United States in this case.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdoh/pr/owner-local-marketing-business-pay-quarter-million-dollars-committing-covid-relief