Munira Schofield, Wire Fraud, Louisiana 2024

Munira Schofield, a 28-year-old resident of LaPlace, La., has been sentenced to four years of probation for her role in a conspiracy to commit wire fraud related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).

The sentencing comes after Schofield pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 371 and 1343. According to court documents, Schofield and her co-conspirators, including her mother, Lynn Schofield, and brother, Bashir Schofield, submitted fraudulent applications to obtain money from Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and Economic Injury Disaster (EIDL) loans. However, the applications falsely represented that the applicants had a sole proprietorship and generated substantial income from the business, by overinflating gross receipts.

The entities either did not exist or earned far less money than reported. 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 Small Business Administration, including the gross inflation of monthly gross receipts to support other loans, including for an entity named ‘Afromerica Touch 360, LLC.’

Schofield was ordered to pay over $219,000 in restitution and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. Her mother and brother were previously convicted for their respective roles in the offense. Schofield’s sentencing marks the latest development in the ongoing investigation into the abuse of CARES Act funds.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, was in charge of the prosecution. U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans praised the work of the FBI in investigating the matter.

Those with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the 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.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana emphasized the importance of holding individuals accountable for their actions in exploiting government programs. Schofield’s case serves as a reminder of the consequences of engaging in such activities.

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