HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Tanisha Wooding, 46, of Huntington, is facing serious time after pleading guilty today to pilfering over $91,000 in federal COVID-19 relief funds. The scheme saw Wooding fraudulently obtain loans intended to keep businesses afloat during the pandemic, instead diverting the cash for her own personal use. It’s another case of someone exploiting a national crisis for a quick buck, and the feds are coming down hard.
According to court documents, between July 26, 2020, and June 10, 2021, Wooding systematically defrauded the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, both authorized under the CARES Act. She submitted applications for four separate PPP loans, totaling $81,664, each falsely claiming the funds were for legitimate business expenses. The alleged businesses? A rotating cast of fictional entities – an insurance agency, a carpet cleaning service, and a tax preparation firm. She also snagged a $10,000 EIDL loan, claiming it was for her insurance business and that she employed ten people. A bold-faced lie, prosecutors say.
The kicker? Wooding didn’t own or operate any of these businesses. She had no payroll, no legitimate business expenses – nothing. The $91,664 in fraudulently obtained funds were deposited directly into her personal bank account in West Virginia. From there, it was a spending spree of cash withdrawals, mobile payments, and digital wallet transfers, all fueling a lifestyle she hadn’t earned. This wasn’t about saving a business; it was pure, unadulterated theft.
The CARES Act was designed to be a lifeline for struggling businesses and workers during unprecedented times. Instead, it became a target for scammers like Wooding. The PPP and EIDL programs aimed to provide forgivable loans and financial assistance to those truly in need. Wooding’s actions represent a betrayal of that intent and a slap in the face to legitimate businesses that suffered during the pandemic.
Wooding is scheduled for sentencing on December 1, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. On top of that, she could receive three years of supervised release and a hefty $250,000 fine. But the financial reckoning doesn’t stop there – Wooding is also on the hook for $101,204.31 in restitution, meaning she’ll have to pay back every penny she stole. Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston announced the guilty plea, praising the work of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Office of Inspector General (NASA OIG), U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the West Virginia State Police – Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI).
The investigation was bolstered by the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Fraud Task Force and its Pandemic Analytics Center of Excellence, which are dedicated to uncovering fraud related to the trillions of dollars in COVID-19 spending. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing, and Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Tessman is prosecuting the case. Anyone with information about COVID-19 related fraud is urged to contact the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or submit a complaint online at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. Court documents can be found on PACER under Case No. 3:25-cr-122.
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Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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