Carnisha Maurica Rogers was indicted on October 21st for allegedly engaging in fraudulent activities to obtain funds from the Payment Protection Plan (PPP) loan, as stated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.
The indictment filed by the U.S. Attorney’s office includes three additional charges.
The individual is facing charges on multiple counts, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud, as well as false representation of a Social Security number. These charges are related to their involvement in a line of credit scheme and COVID relief fraud specifically through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Secret Service – Jacksonville Field Office initiated an investigation into Roger’s alleged actions, which revealed additional information. It was discovered that Rogers had reportedly applied for a PPP loan with the Small Business Administration (SBA) amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Her intention was to support her struggling small business, despite not actually owning one. She ultimately received $20,832 in COVID-19 relief funds. In 2021, Rogers requested forgiveness for the PPP loan, stating that $18,000 of the amount was allocated towards payroll expenses.
The defendant’s alleged crimes did not start in 2020. According to the investigation, Rogers was reportedly involved in a multi-person network that stole Social Security information from unsuspecting victims. Subsequently, the network would sell this information on the internet.
Between February 2016 and September 2019, Rogers and her associates actively sought out individuals to help them acquire lines of credit from different businesses using their social security numbers (SSNs). Once they successfully obtained these lines of credit through fraudulent means, they proceeded to purchase jewelry and other valuable items. Additionally, they made an attempt to acquire a luxury vehicle. Rogers and her co-conspirators then proceeded to sell off some of the merchandise and lines of credit on various social media platforms.
The indictment did not name Roger’s accomplices, and there is currently no indication that they have been charged with the offenses.
In Florida, there have been several cases of individuals facing accusations of PPP loan fraud, and Rogers is not the only resident involved. A recent report by BLACK ENTERPRISE highlighted the case of Issa Asad, a businessman from Florida. Asad utilized his company, QLink Telecommunications Inc., to obtain a staggering $600 million in government subsidies from the Lifeline program administered by the Federal Communication Commission. As a result, he pleaded guilty to misappropriating hundreds of thousands of dollars in COVID-19 relief funds.
According to the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Markenzy Lapointe, Issa Asad and his company, Q Link Wireless, intentionally deceived and cheated two important federal programs that were designed to assist individuals and businesses facing financial difficulties. They unlawfully obtained hundreds of millions of dollars for their own benefit, while hindering the U.S. government’s ability to provide help to those who genuinely needed it.
Asad is set to be sentenced in January 2025, with the possibility of facing a maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison.
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