A 28-year-old LaPlace resident is facing 5 years in prison for her role in a COVID-19 loan scam.
Munira Schofield, 28, pleaded guilty on May 23, 2024, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 371 and 1343, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
The charges stem from Schofield’s role in a conspiracy to prepare and file fraudulent applications for loans related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). Her mother, Lynn Schofield, and brother, Bashir Schofield, previously pled guilty for their respective roles in the offense.
According to court documents, Schofield, Lynn, and Bashir submitted applications to obtain money from Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and Economic Injury Disaster (EIDL) loans fraudulently. Each defendant submitted at least one loan, falsely representing that the applicant had a sole proprietorship and generated substantial income from the business by overinflating gross receipts.
Schofield submitted a fraudulent application for an EIDL loan for a business she claimed to own, “Just Jocin.” In conjunction with her mother, Lynn, Schofield also gave false material information to the SBA that grossly inflated the monthly gross receipts to support other loans, including for an entity named “Afromerica Touch 360, LLC,” and used some of the resulting funds for her personal benefit.
Munira Schofield admitted that her conduct resulted in a loss of approximately $219,033 to the SBA. She faces up to 5 years in prison, up to 3 years of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. Sentencing before Judge Fallon has been scheduled for August 22, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, is in charge of the prosecution.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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Key Facts
- State: Louisiana
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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