Donnat Powell: Sentenced in $14.7M PPP Scheme

Identity and role

Donnat Powell, 48 when charged, of Paterson, New Jersey, was one of six people arrested on June 6, 2023, when a criminal complaint was unsealed in White Plains against Glenroy Walker, Howard Levy and four others. His case moved on its own track: on June 28, 2023, he was charged in a separate one-count information, United States v. Powell, No. 7:23-cr-00315 (S.D.N.Y.), with conspiracy to commit wire fraud (18 U.S.C. § 371), and pleaded guilty that day before U.S. District Judge Vincent L. Briccetti.

The scheme and pandemic-relief role

The U.S. Attorney's Office said Walker and Levy submitted more than 100 fraudulent PPP applications between July 2020 and February 2022, and that Powell took part by applying for his own purported businesses, recruiting other applicants and paying Walker and Levy kickbacks. The applications tied to all six defendants sought more than $14.7 million, and more than $4.6 million was paid out. Powell's consent forfeiture order puts the proceeds traceable to his offense at $122,105.

Legal status / controversies

Charged: criminal complaint unsealed June 6, 2023 (conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution); information, June 28, 2023.
Pleaded guilty: June 28, 2023, under a plea agreement.
Sentenced: November 15, 2023, to time served, three years of supervised release and $148,000 in restitution, with a $122,105 money judgment (judgment entered November 16, 2023).
Payment order: in April 2024 the court approved a stipulation assigning part of his earnings toward what he owes.

He was the first of the six to be sentenced, 22 months before Walker.

Where they are now (2025–2026)

The three-year term of supervised release in his November 2023 judgment runs to November 2026. We found no later public record of him.

Donnat Powell

Identity and role

The scheme and pandemic-relief role

Legal status / controversies

Where they are now (2025–2026)

Sources