Boston Man Pleads Guilty to Loan and Check Fraud
Summary
This U.S. Attorney's Office release (District of Massachusetts) of December 23, 2025 reports that Lonnie Smith-Matthews, 33, of Boston pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud, one count of theft of government funds, two counts of bank fraud and two counts of money laundering; Chief Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for March 19, 2026. According to the release, Smith-Matthews obtained two PPP loans in 2021 by falsely claiming business income of $128,000. In 2024 Smith-Matthews deposited an altered and forged U.S. Treasury tax refund check for $150,000, issued to a married couple in North Carolina, made payable to a defunct clothing company Smith-Matthews owned, and laundered the proceeds through cashier's checks; a $232,000 check stolen from a New York firm was altered the same way. The release's subhead puts the PPP loans at $50,000 and the stolen checks at $382,000.
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Press Release Boston Man Pleads Guilty to Loan and Check Fraud Tuesday, December 23, 2025 For Immediate Release U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Massachusetts Defendant obtained $50,000 in PPP loans and deposited $382,000 in stolen checks BOSTON – A Boston man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to defrauding the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and stealing both a U.S. Treasury tax refund check and a check from a New York law firm. Lonnie Smith-Matthews, 33, pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud; one count of theft of government funds; two counts of bank fraud; and two counts of money laundering. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for March 19, 2026. In June 2025 , Smith-Matthews was arrested and charged by criminal complaint as part of a federal crackdown on stolen U.S. Treasury checks. He was later indicted in September 2025 . In 2021, Smith-Matthews fraudulently obtained two PPP loans by falsely claiming business income of $128,000, when he made less than half that amount and did not actually have a business. Additionally, in 2024, Smith-Matthews obtained and deposited a U.S. Treasury tax refund check for $150,000 that had been altered and forged to be payable to a defunct clothing company that Smith-Matthews owned. In fact, the U.S. Treasury check had been issued to a married couple in North Carolina as a refund on their 2023 income taxes. After depositing the check, Smith-Matthews laundered the proceeds using cashier’s checks made payable to a purported roofing company. In 2024, Smith-Matthews obtained and deposited a $232,000 check stolen from a New York firm. Like the U.S. Treasury check, the law firm check had been altered and forged to be payable to Smith-Matthews’ defunct company. The charge of theft of government funds provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of bank fraud provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of money laundering provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three of supervised release and a fine of $500,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; Christopher J. Gust, Assistant Special Agent in charge of the U.S. Dept. of Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, Northeast Field Division; and Nicholas Bucciarelli, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth B. Kosto, Chief of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case. Updated December 23, 2025 Topics COVID-Related Fraud Financial Fraud Component USAO - Massachusetts Related Content Press Release Former TSA Security Officer Sentenced for Fraudulently Obtaining Pandemic Unemployment Assistance BOSTON – A Worcester man was sentenced in federal court in Boston for fraudulently obtaining tens of thousands of dollars in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) while employed as a TSA... May 21, 2026 Press Release Illegal Alien Sentenced for Money Laundering and Identity Theft Charges BOSTON – A Dominican man unlawfully residing in Lawrence was sentenced in federal court in Boston for money laundering, false use of a Social Security number and aggravated identity theft. May 18, 2026 Press Release Former Department of Labor Employee Pleads Guilty to Fraudulently Obtaining Over $40,000 in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Benefits BOSTON – A former employee of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to fraudulently obtaining over $40,000 in pandemic unemployment assistance (PUA) benefits. May 12, 2026
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