Pandemic Funds Pilfered: Vet Gets 2 Years

⏱ 3 min read

A former Navy member and reservist is heading to federal prison after bilking the government out of pandemic relief money. Tiara Jenee Bryant, 36, was sentenced to two years in Norfolk, Virginia, after pleading guilty to fraud related to the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. The scam unfolded in the summer of 2020, as Bryant sought to profit from the crisis.

Bryant, then using the name Tiara Washington, concocted a fake business, Jovialistic-Spaces, LLC, in June 2020. She claimed her non-existent maid and cleaning service had eleven employees and a 2019 revenue of $250,000 – a total lie designed to qualify for the EIDL. The Small Business Administration approved the fraudulent application, wiring her $115,000 on July 23, 2020.

The money didn’t last. Within weeks, Bryant had drained the business account, withdrawing almost $120,000 in cash and transferring the rest to her personal accounts. Audacity didn’t stop there. In February 2022, she attempted to increase her loan to a staggering $428,600. That request was denied, and her subsequent plea of “financial hardship” was also rejected, sealing her fate.

The Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) stepped in, unraveling the scheme. Bryant now owes $128,844.56 in restitution, due by March 5, 2026. The two-year sentence serves as a warning: exploiting a national crisis for personal gain doesn’t pay.