GREAT FALLS, MT – A brazen scheme to siphon over a million dollars from the federal government’s COVID-19 relief efforts landed Trevor Gene Lanius-McLeod, 48, of East Helena, a 30-month prison sentence. Lanius-McLeod admitted to lying on applications for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, then using the funds for personal expenses rather than keeping businesses afloat during the pandemic. The sentencing, handed down June 7th by Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris, also includes three years of supervised release and a hefty $1,000,043.00 restitution order.
The fraud unfolded beginning in April 2020, with Lanius-McLeod submitting four fraudulent PPP loan applications through Valley Bank of Helena, ultimately securing approximately $1,043,000. He also fraudulently obtained a $349,000 PPP loan on behalf of Renovated Montana Properties LLP, a company he controlled. Court documents reveal a pattern of blatant falsehoods, including claims of having 25 employees and having paid payroll taxes – both demonstrably false. The company had no employees besides Lanius-McLeod himself, and no payroll taxes were ever paid.
U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich minced no words, stating that Lanius-McLeod “stole money from a government program designed to keep businesses afloat and lined his own pockets to the detriment of truly needy businesses.” The prosecution, led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin M. Rubich, successfully argued that Lanius-McLeod’s actions were a direct betrayal of a program intended to help those most impacted by the pandemic. A portion of the restitution – $125,000 – will be paid jointly with co-defendant Kasey Wilson, who was sentenced in March 2022.
The stolen funds weren’t invested in any legitimate business purpose. Instead, Lanius-McLeod used the money to pay for personal expenses, including the mortgage on his own residence. “The sentence handed down today is a direct reflection of the seriousness of Mr. Lanius-McLeod’s crimes,” said Andy Tsui, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation Denver Field Office. “He victimized individuals and businesses the Paycheck Protection Program was designed to protect.”
Federal investigators from the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation worked tirelessly to unravel the scheme. “Trevor Lanius-McLeod greedily robbed small businesses that depended on PPP funds to survive,” stated Special Agent in Charge Dennis Rice of the Salt Lake City FBI. “His sentence should serve as a reminder that the FBI and our federal partners are vigilantly working to make sure federal assistance funds are used as intended.” The case underscores the government’s commitment to pursuing and punishing those who exploit national emergencies for personal gain.
The Paycheck Protection Program, a key component of the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, was designed to provide emergency assistance to small businesses struggling with job retention and other expenses during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lanius-McLeod’s actions represent a particularly egregious example of how the program was abused, diverting critical resources away from legitimate businesses in need. He was convicted of bank fraud and engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity after pleading guilty in December 2021.
Related Federal Cases
- Raleigh Rana Figueras, Bank Fraud, California 2024 · Utah
- Jonathan Wade Sumter, PPP Loan Fraud, Greenville SC, 2022 · South Carolina
- Armando Jesus Hernandez Leal, $66M Investment Fraud, San Antonio TX… · Texas
- Kenneth Ray Shackelford, $2M Red River Army Depot Fraud, Texarkana … · Texas
- Daryl Glenn Johnson, Public Funds Fraud Scheme, Beaumont TX, 2023 · Kansas
Key Facts
- Agency: U.S. Secret Service
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Press Release
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