Charlene Wint PPP fraud case — U.S. District Court, E.D.N.Y.

Case summary

Charlene Wint was prosecuted in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, No. CR-21-477 (FB), over Paycheck Protection Program loans. She pleaded guilty to count one of an information charging conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud under 18 U.S.C. § 1349, with the offense ending August 31, 2020. The court's memorandum and order of March 10, 2023 records that Wint, then employed at a retail branch of a national bank in New York, and co-conspirator Hashim Campbell recruited bank customers, family and friends and helped them file fraudulent PPP applications, taking commissions. She was sentenced on November 17, 2022 to time served and two years of supervised release. On March 10, 2023 the court set restitution at $100,000, and an amended judgment followed on March 23, 2023.

Case at a glance

Why did the restitution figure change?

The court reserved judgment on restitution at sentencing. It then found that the government had not shown by a preponderance of the evidence that the victim bank lost $3,500,000, declined to make Wint and Campbell jointly and severally liable, and imposed $100,000 on Wint, payable at 10 percent of her gross monthly income.

What was Wint's role?

The memorandum and order states that she submitted completed false tax documents to her supervisor and co-conspirator, the branch manager of her bank, and coordinated with applicants in withdrawing the disbursed funds using personal and cashier's checks. The court described her as a low-level clerk in the overall scheme and the government characterized her income from it as "thousands" of dollars.

What did the government ask for?

A sentence within the guidelines range of 41 to 51 months' imprisonment, in its sentencing memorandum of November 14, 2022.

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