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ProfilePerson

Ligia María Lemus De Pentzke

Defendant

PPP · EIDL
Type
Person
Role
Defendant
Programs
PPP, EIDL
Updated

The profile

A defendant in a Puerto Rico PPP and EIDL ring who, the indictment says, collected kickbacks and passed them on. She admitted taking $80,300 in loans and four kickback checks, pleaded guilty in March 2025 and was awaiting sentence in January 2026.

Identity and role

Ligia Maria Lemus De Pentzke, whom the indictment also calls "Ligia Lemus Lanuza," was one of six defendants indicted on March 30, 2023, in United States v. Pentzke-Lemus, No. 3:23-cr-00130 (D.P.R.). The court docket spells her first name "Ligia Maria." The indictment says she received kickback payments from the scheme and forwarded them to co-conspirators.

The scheme and pandemic-relief role

According to the indictment, organizer Manfred A. Pentzke Lemus recruited people to file PPP applications with a San Juan bank, "Bank 1," and EIDL applications with the SBA, supported by inflated 2019 income on tax forms; recruits paid kickbacks of about $5,000 per loan. The plea agreements put the ring's take at $5,915,290.33 from 223 PPP loans plus $3,105,300 in EIDL money, and count at least 154 kickback checks totaling $682,775.50.

In her plea agreement she admitted obtaining PPP and EIDL loans totaling $80,300 and receiving at least four of the kickback checks, totaling $20,748. She and co-conspirators, the agreement says, collected the checks and cash and pooled them for later distribution. The indictment's tables list an EIDL loan of $74,000 plus a $1,000 advance to her on June 16, 2020, and PPP loans of $2,700 each on May 2, 2020 and February 9, 2021.

  • Indicted: March 30, 2023, on conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
  • Pleaded guilty: to Counts 1 and 21 under a plea and forfeiture agreement filed March 26, 2025, after a change-of-plea hearing set for March 10, 2025 did not go forward.
  • Sentencing: on January 29, 2026 the U.S. Attorney's Office said three of the organizer's co-defendants were awaiting sentence. Court records show that the two already sentenced were Jonatan Ben David Prieto Ruiz De Val and Carlos Manfredo Pentzke Chamorro, which puts her among the three.

Where they are now (2025–2026)

We found no public record of her sentencing after January 2026.

Sources

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