United States v. Malaina Chapman — U.S. District Court, S.D. Fla.

Case summary

Malaina Chapman pleaded guilty to count 6 of the indictment in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, No. 1:24-cr-20321-RAR, and was adjudicated guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud under 18 U.S.C. § 1349, offense ended December 30, 2021. In a factual proffer statement filed March 14, 2025 she agreed that she participated in multiple schemes to defraud COVID-19 relief programs including the Paycheck Protection Program, the Economic Injury and Disaster Loan program, the City of Miami Emergency Rental Assistance Program and the State of Florida Emergency Rental Assistance program. On June 13, 2025 the court imposed 54 months' imprisonment, three years of supervised release, a $100 assessment and restitution of $1,297,178.00, and dismissed all remaining counts on the motion of the United States.

Case at a glance

What was Chapman sentenced to?

Fifty-four months in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons on count 6, followed by three years of supervised release, with a recommendation that she be designated in or as near to the Southern District of Florida as possible.

How is the restitution allocated?

The judgment orders $1,297,178.00 payable to the Clerk, U.S. District Court. It states that $443,895.00 is owed jointly and severally with co-conspirator Raisha Kelly and that Chapman is solely responsible for a remaining $393,821.00; the two component figures as printed do not add to the total.

What does the factual proffer describe?

False and fraudulent loan applications to the SBA and SBA-approved PPP lenders, and false applications to the City of Miami and the State of Florida. One example: a February 11, 2021 loan of $17,052.50 approved by Lender 3 for Upscale Credit Lounge on a 2020 Schedule C reporting $103,674 in gross revenue, where the Schedule C filed with the IRS reported $37,010.