Siedah Eley, Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, Louisiana 2023

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Siedah Eley, 30, Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud in New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS – In a shocking turn of events, Siedah Eley, a 30-year-old resident of Houston, Texas, and formerly of Columbia, Maryland, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in U.S. District Court. According to U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans, Eley’s actions are linked to her role in preparing and filing false applications for loans related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).

As part of her scheme, Eley used word-of-mouth and text message contacts to solicit individuals interested in obtaining money from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) program. Once she had their information, she would create a false and fraudulent loan application, including misrepresentations about their business income and expenses.

Eley would then submit these applications to the online portal, which would process and pay out the loan. She would then charge some applicants up to $5,000 for preparing and submitting the fraudulent application. In total, Eley’s scheme resulted in a loss of approximately $166,656 to the Small Business Association.

U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Secret Service in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, is in charge of the prosecution. Eley faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, up to three years of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.

Sentencing before Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle has been scheduled for September 20, 2023. Anyone 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.

The U.S. Attorney’s office has praised the efforts of the United States Secret Service in bringing Eley to justice. This case serves as a reminder of the importance of vigilance in protecting against COVID-19-related scams.

In related news, the U.S. Attorney’s office has urged citizens to remain cautious when dealing with financial matters related to the pandemic. For more information, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.