Trevor Gene Lanius-McLeod, Bank Fraud, Montana 2021

GREAT FALLS – Trevor Gene Lanius-McLeod, 48, of Helena, Montana, is facing serious time after admitting to a brazen scheme to rip off Valley Bank of Helena – a division of Glacier Bank – for over $1 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. The feds say Lanius-McLeod, also known as Trevor Gene McLeod, didn’t use the money to save jobs or keep a business afloat. He used it to line his own pockets.

Lanius-McLeod pleaded guilty to bank fraud and engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity. Federal prosecutors are seeking a hefty penalty: up to 30 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. The government has agreed to drop nine other charges in exchange for the guilty plea, a common tactic to secure a conviction.

Court documents reveal Lanius-McLeod applied for four PPP loans in April 2021, allegedly lying on the applications and supporting paperwork. He successfully obtained $1,043,000 in fraudulent funds. The scheme centered around Renovated Montana Properties LLP, an entity controlled by Lanius-McLeod. He falsely claimed the company had paid payroll taxes and employed 25 people – a complete fabrication. In reality, the company hadn’t paid payroll taxes and consisted of Lanius-McLeod himself, occasionally using independent contractors.

The PPP program was designed to provide emergency assistance to struggling small businesses during the pandemic. Lanius-McLeod signed a promissory note promising to use the $340,000 loan for legitimate business expenses like payroll. Instead, the feds say he funneled the money into personal expenses, including paying off the mortgage on his home. It’s another case of someone exploiting a crisis for personal gain, leaving honest businesses to suffer.

Lanius-McLeod isn’t the only one facing charges in this case. Co-defendant Kasey Jones Wilson of Laurel has also pleaded guilty to bank fraud and is awaiting sentencing. The investigation was a joint effort by the IRS-Criminal Investigation, the FBI, the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and the U.S. Secret Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin M. Rubich is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of a larger crackdown on COVID-19 fraud led by the Attorney General’s COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force. The Department of Justice is determined to hold accountable those who preyed on the pandemic relief programs. Anyone with information about COVID-19 fraud is urged to report it to the National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via their online complaint form. Sentencing for Lanius-McLeod is scheduled for April 21, and he remains free pending further proceedings. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris is presiding over the case.

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