Tammy Dodge, Bank Fraud, New Hampshire 2024

Derry woman accused of attempting to swindle $2.5 million in COVID-19 relief funds has pleaded guilty to bank fraud, prosecutors announced.

Tammy Dodge, 43, admitted to her role in the scheme in federal court in Concord, New Hampshire. Her husband, David Dodge, 43, pleaded guilty to the same charges in February 2024.

The couple claimed to own or control multiple businesses in New Hampshire and Massachusetts, including Teacher Tammy, Optimized Operations, and Business Done Right. However, these companies had no operations and served no business purpose.

The Dodges submitted 30 fraudulent applications for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) from the Small Business Administration, and pandemic relief grants from the New Hampshire Governor’s Office for Emergency Relief and Recovery (GOFERR) and the Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation (MGCC).

Prosecutors alleged that the couple used fake supporting documents in the applications, including a purported check and bank statement for a TD Bank account in the name of Teacher Tammy. However, the account was under the defendant’s own name and did not even exist until June 2020.

The couple was able to obtain $219,323.34 out of the approximately $2.5 million they sought. They misused some of the fraudulently obtained funds.

Tammy Dodge faces a sentence of no greater than 30 years in prison, 5 years of supervised release, and a fine of $1 million. Sentencing is scheduled for June 10, 2024.

The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-nh/pr/derry-woman-pleads-guilty-covid-19-fraud-0