BATON ROUGE WOMAN SENTENCED TO 13 MONTHS IN FEDERAL PRISON FOR COVID-19 FRAUD
Summary
A press release of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Louisiana dated Tuesday, January 28, 2025, announcing that U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced Gernesia Williams, 47, of Baton Rouge, to 13 months in federal prison following her conviction for knowing conversion of government funds. It states that she was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $110,030.47 in restitution. According to admissions made as part of her guilty plea, between approximately April 2020 and January 2023 she converted more than $100,000 in COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan proceeds to her own use. The release states that she misspent at least $110,030.47 of the proceeds, including more than $30,000 on jewelry and more than $20,000 on a destination wedding in Florida.
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Press Release BATON ROUGE WOMAN SENTENCED TO 13 MONTHS IN FEDERAL PRISON FOR COVID-19 FRAUD Tuesday, January 28, 2025 For Immediate Release U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Louisiana United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced Gernesia Williams, 47, of Baton Rouge, to 13 months in federal prison following her conviction for knowing conversion of government funds. The Court further sentenced Williams to serve three years of supervised release following her term of imprisonment and ordered her to pay $110,030.47 in restitution. According to admissions made as part of her guilty plea, between approximately April 2020 and January 2023, Williams knowingly converted more than $100,000 in loan proceeds she obtained as part of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) program for her own use. As a condition to obtaining the loans, she promised to use the proceeds solely as working capital to alleviate economic injury caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, Williams misspent at least $110,030.47 of the loan proceeds on herself and others, including more than $30,000 on jewelry and more than $20,000 on a destination wedding in Florida. Anyone with information about allegations of pandemic fraud can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ben Wallace. Updated January 28, 2025 Topics Coronavirus Disaster Fraud Component USAO - Louisiana, Middle Related Content Press Release Gonzales Man Charged in Multimillion-Dollar Scheme to Defraud the COVID-19 Employee Retention Credit Program United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr., announced that a Bill of Information has been filed charging Damian R. Raby, age 41, of Gonzales, Louisiana, with conspiracy to launder money... December 17, 2024 Press Release Former Law Enforcement Officer Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison for Multimillion Dollar Scheme to Defraud COVID-19 Pandemic Relief Program United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced Richard Hebert, Jr., age 57, of Harvey, Louisiana, to 84 months in federal prison... December 6, 2024 Press Release Postal Employee Pleads Guilty to Pandemic Relief Program Fraud United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that Myaika Gross, age 40, of Denham Springs, Louisiana, pled guilty before U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles to wire fraud in... December 5, 2024
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