Roshawnda Richardson, Wire Fraud, Georgia 2024

Five additional defendants charged with fraudulently obtaining COVID-19 relief funding in the Southern District of Georgia continue to be identified by investigators.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, passed in March 2020, provided over $6.5 billion in funding, leading to nearly 40 defendants being federally charged for illegally obtaining Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) funding or Economic Injury Disaster Loans through the Small Business Administration.

US Attorney David H. Estes stated, ‘The CARES Act provided a vital safety net for small businesses during months of pandemic-related disruptions.’ He added, ‘In coordination with our law enforcement partners, we continue to identify and hold accountable those who obtained funding to which they weren’t entitled and in violation of the law.’

The defendants include:

Roshawnda Richardson, 29, of Waverly, Ga., who pled guilty to an Information charging her with Wire Fraud. Richardson admitted participating in a scheme to fraudulently obtain PPP funding for two businesses.
Jerrod Bellamy, 25, of Savannah, who pled guilty to an Information charging him with Conspiracy and Filing a False Tax Return. Bellamy admitted he provided false information in his personal tax return, fraudulently obtained a PPP loan, and conspired with others to fraudulently obtain PPP loans for them. He also received more than $50,000 in kickbacks for helping co-conspirators fraudulently obtain COVID-19 relief funding.
Lesley Anne McCray, 31, of Fort Stewart, charged via Information alleging she committed Wire Fraud. The Information alleges she provided false information to obtain PPP funding.
Christopher Sylvester, 29, of Columbia, S.C., charged via Information with Wire Fraud. Sylvester is alleged to have provided false information in a PPP application to receive relief funding.
Monique Stoddart, 30, of Hinesville, Ga., charged via Information with Wire Fraud. Stoddart is alleged to have provided fraudulent information and false tax forms in an application to receive PPP funding.

The defendants face possible penalty ranges of up to 20 years in prison. The fraudulent loan applications in these cases combined to cause lenders to pay nearly $400,000 to defendants and co-conspirators.

Criminal indictments and informations contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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