USA v. Thomas et al. (Gaines) — N.D. Ga., Atlanta, No. 1:20-cr-00296

Case summary

This page collects filings addressed to Andre Lee Gaines in USA v. Thomas et al., No. 1:20-cr-00296-JPB in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Atlanta Division. A co-defendant's motion filed on this docket states that the grand jury returned a thirty-count indictment against five defendants alleging a scheme to obtain fraudulent loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration under the Paycheck Protection Program established as part of the CARES Act. Gaines was arraigned on August 6, 2020, pleaded not guilty to counts 1, 2, 3, 14, 18, 19, 27 and 28, and was released on a $20,000 appearance bond. On August 19, 2022 the court granted the government's Rule 48(a) motion and dismissed the indictment as to Gaines because he had been charged by information in another case.

Case at a glance

What does this page say the case was about?

A co-defendant's motion to suppress, filed March 14, 2022, states that a grand jury in the Northern District of Georgia returned a thirty-count indictment against five defendants alleging a scheme to obtain fraudulent loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration under the Paycheck Protection Program established as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act enacted in or about March 2020. Another co-defendant's motion states that the superseding indictment alleges 18 separate conspiracies arising from 14 loans made by five financial institutions under the program.

How was the case against Gaines resolved?

By dismissal. The government moved on August 17, 2022 under Rule 48(a) for leave to dismiss the indictment because Gaines had been charged by information in No. 1:21-cr-206-JPB-1, and the court granted leave on August 19, 2022. Before that, the case had been certified ready for trial on May 20, 2021 after counsel advised the court that the defendant did not intend to file pretrial motions.

Whose proceedings are the later filings on this page?

Co-defendants'. The page carries February 2024 transcripts, June 2024 pretrial and jury-trial transcripts as to Carla Jackson and Teldrin Foster, and a transcript of a sentencing held on May 16, 2024 as to Carla Jackson. An order of December 31, 2025 grants the government's motion to substitute the Small Business Administration for Harvest Small Business Finance, CDC Small Business Finance, Cross River Bank, Customers Bank and Celtic Bank as restitution payees in the judgments and commitments in the case.

Summary written from the documents on this page; every sentence is sourced.