Porsha Tims Bush, COVID-19 Relief Program Fraud, Tennessee 2022

A Knoxville woman was sentenced to 57 months in prison for defrauding COVID-19 relief programs out of over $540,000. Porsha Tims Bush, 42, pleaded guilty to violating Title 18 U.S.C. § 1343.

Bush submitted 10 fraudulent loan applications to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program between March 30, 2020, and June 2020. The applications were made under the names of six businesses that did not qualify for the relief funds. Bush used the fraudulently obtained loan proceeds for unauthorized purposes, including purchasing clothes and electronics, paying off personal debt, and funding her daily lifestyle.

The CARES Act, a federal law enacted in March 2020, provided emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The PPP loans consisted of over $640 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses, while the EIDL program provided low-interest loans to business owners.

Bush’s scheme involved submitting false supporting records, including Internal Revenue Service documents, and making false statements about the number of individuals the companies employed, the revenue generated, and the wages paid. She also made false statements about the business entities and the intended use of the loan proceeds.

As part of her plea agreement, Bush was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $471,621, a fine of $25,000, and to complete a term of supervised release of three years following her release from prison. The case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI.

Assistant United States Attorney William A. Roach, Jr. prosecuted the case. The COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force, established by the Attorney General in May 2021, marshaled the resources of the Department of Justice to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud.

Porsha Tims Bush’s exact criminal charges are 18 U.S.C. § 1343, for violating the wire fraud statute. The crime took place in Knoxville, Tennessee, on February 24, 2022. Bush’s sentence includes 57 months in prison, with restitution of $471,621 and a fine of $25,000. The total amount of fraud related to the COVID-19 relief programs exceeds $540,000.

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