Macomb County Trio Admits $3M PPP Fraud

DETROIT – Three residents of Macomb County have confessed to running a brazen scheme to siphon over $3 million from the federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a lifeline intended for businesses crippled by the COVID-19 pandemic. The trio – Rita Shaba, 39, of Macomb; Samer Kammo, 45, of Shelby Township; and Christina Anasi, 35, of Shelby Township – each pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire and bank fraud, admitting they fabricated documents and misrepresented payroll information to illegally obtain loans.

The scheme, uncovered by the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), involved submitting fraudulent applications for multiple business entities. Court records detail how the defendants didn’t just inflate numbers; they conjured entirely fictitious payroll records, health insurance documentation, bank statements, and tax filings – a calculated effort to deceive lenders and the Small Business Administration (SBA). The goal wasn’t business survival, but personal enrichment at the expense of legitimate businesses and taxpayers.

While the defendants managed to pocket over $3 million in fraudulent PPP funds, investigators haven’t let them keep it all. To date, law enforcement has seized and recovered more than $2.1 million. However, the recovery doesn’t erase the damage done. The stolen funds could have kept local businesses afloat, protected jobs, and eased the economic hardship faced by countless families.

“While the numbers fraudsters used to illicitly enrich themselves were fake, the prison time they’re facing is very real,” declared United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. His office promises continued vigilance in prosecuting those who exploited the pandemic for personal gain. Reuben Coleman, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office, echoed this sentiment, stating Shaba “stole from hardworking taxpaying citizens and struggling businesses,” eroding trust in vital relief programs.

Jared Murphey, Acting Special Agent in Charge of ICE HSI Detroit, minced no words: “This money was designed to support businesses…instead these defendants used it to enrich themselves.” He warned that those who attempted to profit from pandemic relief will inevitably face consequences. The defendants now face a maximum sentence of up to 30 years imprisonment. Judge Jonathan J.C. Grey will hand down Shaba’s sentence on January 5, 2026, followed by Anasi on January 7, 2026, and Kammo on January 15, 2026.

The case was spearheaded by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Yahkind, utilizing the investigative expertise of special agents from the FBI and ICE HSI Detroit. This prosecution serves as a stark reminder that federal authorities are actively pursuing and punishing those who preyed on a national crisis, and that accountability will be served, even after the pandemic has waned.

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