SAVANNAH, GA – Two Georgians are trading freedom for federal prison cells after admitting to ripping off COVID-19 relief programs. The sentences, handed down this week, represent the latest blows in a widening crackdown on pandemic-era fraud, where desperation met opportunity for scammers.
Jerrod Bellamy, 26, of Savannah, will spend the next 22 months behind bars after pleading guilty to Conspiracy and Filing a False Tax Return. Bellamy, a former Specialist in the U.S. Army stationed at Hunter Army Airfield, wasn’t content with just one fraudulent application. He admitted to providing false information on his own tax return to secure a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan and then conspired with others to do the same. The scheme netted him more than $50,000 in kickbacks. He’s since been discharged from the Army. Bellamy was also ordered to pay $223,807.14 in restitution.
In a separate case, Roshawnda Richardson, 29, of Waverly, Ga., received a 15-month sentence and a $166,665.50 restitution order after pleading guilty to Wire Fraud. Richardson participated in a scheme to fraudulently obtain PPP funding for two businesses, lining her pockets with taxpayer dollars intended to keep legitimate enterprises afloat.
U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood didn’t show leniency, sentencing both Bellamy and Richardson to three years of supervised release following their prison terms. There’s no parole in the federal system, meaning they’ll serve their full sentences. U.S. Attorney David H. Estes made it clear: “These sentences…serve as a warning to other scam artists who used fraud to receive small-business relief funding.”
The Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office has been aggressively pursuing PPP and Economic Injury Disaster Loan fraud since the CARES Act passed in March 2020. So far, they’ve secured federal convictions against over 40 defendants, recovering millions in stolen funds. The investigation involved multiple agencies, including the Army Criminal Investigation Division, the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, and IRS Criminal Investigation.
“Schemers who stole taxpayer dollars…will be brought to justice,” stated Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, Special Agent in Charge of the SBA OIG’s Eastern Region. “These sentences demonstrate that those responsible will be held accountable.” James E. Dorsey, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation, added that the PPP loans were “lifelines” and those who steal from them “will be found and prosecuted.” Darrin K. Jones, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, emphasized that defrauding government assistance programs undermines their integrity.
Related Federal Cases
- Sark Wire Corporation, PPP Fraud, Albany NY, 2023 · Pennsylvania
- Eijroghene Okuma, $10M Investment Fraud, Atlanta GA, 2023 · Georgia
- Daniqua Clark, Mail Stream Theft and COVID-19 Relief Fraud, Atlanta… · Georgia
- James Pavlounis, Social Security Disability Benefits Fraud, New Roc… · Pennsylvania
- Emily Wilson, Investment Adviser Fraud, Pennsylvania, 2023 · Georgia
Key Facts
- Agency: U.S. Secret Service
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Press Release
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