Lobbying firm and its owner ordered to pay $400,000 for fraudulently obtained Paycheck Protection Program loans

Summary

A press release from USAO - Virginia, Eastern, published April 14, 2026, says the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia ordered Iseman & Associates LLC, a lobbying firm in West Palm Beach, Florida, and its owner Vicki Iseman to pay $408,730.44. The release says the court found that they submitted fraudulent applications for federally guaranteed PPP loans. It says the United States filed a Complaint in March 2025 alleging violations of the False Claims Act and FIRREA through false documents and false certifications of eligibility for two PPP loans, and that businesses primarily engaged in lobbying or political activities were categorically ineligible. The court awarded the United States summary judgment, with judgment including treble damages and penalties under the False Claims Act.

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Full text

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia ordered Iseman & Associates LLC, a lobbying firm located in West Palm Beach, Florida, and its owner Vicki Iseman, to pay $408,730.44 after finding that they submitted fraudulent applications to obtain federally guaranteed loans through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
In March 2025, the United States filed a Complaint against Iseman & Associates and Iseman alleging that they had violated the False Claims Act (FCA) and Financial Institutions Reform Recovery and Enforcement Act (FIRREA) by submitting false documents and falsely certifying eligibility for two PPP loans. Businesses primarily engaged in lobbying or political activities were categorically ineligible to obtain PPP loans. According to the government’s complaint, Iseman & Associates and Iseman had submitted falsified tax documents and made false certifications as part of their PPP loan applications.
The District Court found that the United States had shown it was entitled to judgment on the FCA and FIRREA claims asserted against the defendants and, accordingly, awarded the United States summary judgment, and entered judgment that included treble damages and penalties under the FCA.
The outcome in this case was the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of General Counsel, Litigation Unit, and the U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General. The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John E. Beerbower, assisted by Forensic Auditor Peter Melaragni.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the
U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia
. Case records may be found on
PACER
under case number 1:25-cv-450-MSN-LRV.

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