Profiles · DefendantsControversial
- Type
- Person
- Role
- Defendant
- Programs
- PPP
- Updated
The profile
Defendant in a prosecution related to the Blueacorn founders' case: pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and received three years' probation, a $5,000 fine, and $70,955.88 in restitution to the SBA.
Individuals whose conduct was challenged or called into question during or after the pandemic. See sources: Plea agreement, Feb. 7, 2024 Judgment, Sept. 17, 2025
In the archive
Identity and role
Vivian Arriaga was charged in the Northern District of Texas (Fort Worth Division) as one of three defendants (with Michael Cota and James Flores) whose cases sat beside the lead Blueacorn founders' prosecution of Nathan Reis and Stephanie Hockridge. Reis's factual resume is cited as listing loans tied to co-conspirators James Flores and Vivian Arriaga among the fraudulent PPP loans.
Arriaga appears in the public record through the Blueacorn-linked prosecutions.
The case / pandemic-relief role
Per the factual resume supporting her plea, from about April 2020 until about May 2021 Arriaga agreed with three co-conspirators to submit PPP loan applications containing false representations about facts material to loan eligibility and loan amount. The applications were submitted by interstate wire from the Scottsdale, Arizona area to financial institutions headquartered in California, New Jersey, and Texas, including a lender headquartered in Bedford, Texas, in the Northern District of Texas, which supplied the venue. The false statements included misrepresentations about the applicants' businesses and payroll.
Legal status
- Charged: by one-count felony information filed January 8, 2024 — United States v. Arriaga, No. 4:24-CR-006-Y (N.D. Tex., Fort Worth Division) — conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 18 U.S.C. § 371 (object offense 18 U.S.C. § 1343), offense concluded May 31, 2021.
- Pleaded: guilty on February 7, 2024 to the single count (plea agreement and factual resume filed the same day).
- Sentenced: September 16, 2025 (judgment signed September 17, 2025) by U.S. District Judge Terry R. Means: 3 years' probation, a $5,000 fine, a $100 special assessment, and restitution of $70,955.88 payable to the U.S. Small Business Administration; of that, $45,617.75 is joint and several with Michael Cota (No. 4:24-CR-005-Y) and James Flores (No. 4:24-CR-306-Y). The court waived interest based on inability to pay.
Where they are now
Arriaga is serving the three-year probation term imposed in September 2025, with payment schedules of at least $250 per month toward the fine and $500 per month toward restitution. No public record of current business activity was identified.
Sources held in this archive
Related profiles
- Michael Cota and James Flores — co-obligors on the shared $45,617.75 restitution component.
- Nathan Reis — his factual resume is cited as listing the loans tied to Arriaga.
Sources
- Felony Information, U.S. v. Arriaga, No. 4:24-CR-006-Y (N.D. Tex. Jan. 8, 2024) (obtained via PACER/RECAP).
- Plea Agreement and Factual Resume (Feb. 7, 2024) — local files doc-021-2024-02-07-Plea Agreement Arriaga and doc-023-2024-02-07-Factual Resume Arriaga.
- Judgment in a Criminal Case, ECF 88 (signed Sept. 17, 2025; sentence imposed Sept. 16, 2025) — 3 years' probation, $5,000 fine, $70,955.88 restitution ($45,617.75 j/s with Cota and Flores) — local file doc-088-judgment.