Related Federal Cases
St. Peters Woman Sentenced to Prison for Pandemic Fraud Scam
ST. LOUIS – In a shocking case of pandemic profiteering, Trashunda M. Harrison, a 38-year-old resident of St. Peters, Missouri, was sentenced to eight months in prison for defrauding the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) out of $204,095.
Harrison pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud and one count of bank fraud and admitted engaging in a scheme to defraud the PPP from around June 2020 through April 2021. The PPP was intended to save both small businesses and jobs.
Harrison submitted a total of nine fraudulent applications for PPP loans in the names of three businesses: The Quiet Space LLC, Blow LLC and StrutN 80s LLC, as well as in her own name as a sole proprietor. Harrison lied on the applications about the payroll and income of the businesses and submitted fraudulent tax forms to support her false claims.
At the time, Harrison had only one functional business, StrutN 80s, which made substantially less than what she claimed in her PPP applications. Harrison falsely claimed the businesses would use the money for allowed expenses such as payroll. She instead used the PPP money for unapproved purposes, including shopping, dining, rent, cash withdrawals and payments to individuals who had no affiliation with the companies.
Harrison “exploited the COVID-19 pandemic for her personal gain, at the expense of those struggling due to the economic consequences of the pandemic,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow wrote in a sentencing memo. Clow also pointed out that Harrison used the identity of someone else in two of her loan applications, without that person’s knowledge.
Harrison was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig. The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow.
As part of her sentence, Harrison was ordered to repay the $204,095 she defrauded from the PPP. The scheme was uncovered and Harrison’s guilty plea marked a significant win for law enforcement in the pursuit of pandemic-related crimes.
Defendant/Respondent Information:
Defendant/Respondent Name: Trashunda M. Harrison
City and State: St. Peters, Missouri
Exact Date: June 6, 2023 (sentencing date)
Sentence or Outcome: 8 months in prison, ordered to repay $204,095
Criminal Charges: Three counts of wire fraud and one count of bank fraud
Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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