Southern District of Ohio joins DOJ Fraud Division, SBA & SBA OIG in surge takedown exceeding $245 million in COVID-era loan fraud

Press release — Southern District of Ohio joins DOJ Fraud Division, SBA & SBA OIG in surge takedown exceeding $245 million in COVID-era loan fraud, dated 2026-09-15, issued by U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Ohio.

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{"metadata":{"responseInfo":{"status":200},"resultset":{"count":"1","pagesize":20,"page":0},"executionTime":0.007266998291015625},"results":[{"attachment":"","body":"COLUMBUS, Ohio \u2013 The U.S. Attorney\u2019s Office for the Southern District of Ohio today announced a conviction as part of a nationwide enforcement action led by the Justice Department\u2019s\u0026nbsp;National Fraud Enforcement Division, the Small Business Administration, and the SBA Office of Inspector General targeting fraud in the SBA\u2019s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).From June 12 to September 1, federal prosecutors across the country facilitated fraud enforcement actions spanning over 160 criminal defendants, including approximately 80 newly charged defendants, reaching approximately $245 million dollars in intended loss to American taxpayers.\u201cThe case we are announcing today as part of this nationwide surge is now the second pandemic loan relief fraud case that we have announced this summer,\u201d said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II. \u201cOur district, in conjunction with the National Fraud Enforcement Division and our federal and state investigative partners, remains resolute in its determination to fight all forms of taxpayer-funded fraud.\u201d \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u201cPandemic loan relief was meant to keep American small businesses alive during government lockdowns\u2014not line the pockets of fraudsters,\u201d said Attorney General Todd Blanche. \u201cThe defendants charged during our summer surge allegedly fabricated businesses, submitted false payroll and revenue claims, stole identities, and concealed foreign ties on their applications\u2014 but they will now be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.\u201d\u201cThis summer surge shows what is possible when dedicated public servants across the country work together with a single purpose,\u201d said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. \u201cOur mission is clear: protect taxpayer funds, safeguard the integrity of federal relief programs, and deliver justice to those who exploited them. We will remain steadfast every day\u2014standing shoulder-to-shoulder with our partners\u2014to identify fraud, pursue those responsible, and restore confidence in the programs meant to help American small businesses thrive.\u201d\u201cToday\u2019s announcement represents the largest-ever action against perpetrators of SBA fraud, with 870,000 suspended borrowers tied to $39 billion in suspected fraudulent PPP and COVID EIDL activity. In partnership with Vice President Vance and the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, we\u2019re putting fraudsters on notice: the federal government will no longer turn a blind eye to those who stole from taxpayers and exploited programs designed to sustain small businesses during the pandemic,\u201d said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler. \u201cWith demand letters going out to suspected fraudsters, we\u2019re also sending a clear message that they must repay their debts or face Treasury collections and possible federal law enforcement. Under this Administration, the free ride is over. We are restoring accountability, recovering taxpayer dollars, and protecting SBA programs for the legitimate small businesses they were created to serve.\u201d\u201cOperation No Doze brings a focused and coordinated approach to pursuing fraud in SBA\u2019s pandemic relief programs,\u201d said SBA Inspector General William Kirk. \u201cBy concentrating our investigative resources and working closely with SBA and our law enforcement partners, we are strengthening our ability to identify fraud, recover taxpayer funds, and hold accountable those who exploited programs created to help small businesses in a time of extraordinary need. This initiative makes clear that the passage of time does not diminish our commitment to accountability.\u201dIn the Southern District of Ohio, U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II announced that a defendant pleaded guilty to PPP-related fraud involving approximately $440,000 in losses. Pierre-Maurice D. Harris, 36, of Columbus, was stopped by the TSA on his way to Miami, Florida, and found to be in possession of $25,000 and seven debit cards in other peoples\u2019 names. Agents identified Ohio PUA fraud, California PUA fraud, PPP fraud, and EIDL fraud connected to the stolen identities.Harris pleaded guilty in July to conspiring to commit mail fraud and wire fraud (up to 20 years in prison), aggravated identity theft (mandatory addition of two years in prison) and money laundering (up to 20 years in prison).\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;This case was investigated by IRS-CI, DOL-OIG, U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Postal Inspection Service.In June, the Southern District of Ohio\u0026nbsp;announced charges against four defendants in a conspiracy scheme to defraud the government out of more than $1.4 million in COVID-19 relief funds.\u0026nbsp;On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (\u201cFraud Division\u201d). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department\u2019s work to combat fraud supports President Trump\u2019s 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.An indictment, information, or complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.\u0026nbsp;# # #\u0026nbsp;","changed":"\u003Ctime datetime=\u00222026-09-15T09:34:21-04:00\u0022\u003E1789479261\u003C\/time\u003E\n","component":[{"uuid":"06593b3a-b39b-41d5-b602-b4ef5ec4339c","name":"USAO - Ohio, Southern"}],"created":"\u003Ctime datetime=\u00222026-09-15T09:32:48-04:00\u0022\u003E1789479168\u003C\/time\u003E\n","date":"1789473600","image":"","number":"","teaser":"\u003Cp\u003ECOLUMBUS, Ohio \u2013 The U.S. Attorney\u2019s Office for the Southern District of Ohio today announced a conviction as part of a nationwide enforcement action led by the Justice Department\u2019s\u0026nbsp;National Fraud Enforcement Division, the Small Business Administration, and the SBA Office of Inspector General targeting fraud in the SBA\u2019s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).\u003C\/p\u003E","title":"Southern District of Ohio joins DOJ Fraud Division, SBA \u0026amp; SBA OIG in surge takedown exceeding $245 million in COVID-era loan fraud","topic":[{"uuid":"6827a162-b783-4ffa-a6c2-596fc9f07e39","name":"COVID-Related Fraud"},{"uuid":"77a2d846-a826-49db-a31a-c5db747e9ad3","name":"Financial Fraud"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/usao-sdoh\/pr\/southern-district-ohio-joins-doj-fraud-division-sba-sba-oig-surge-takedown-exceeding","uuid":"469e20fd-bdab-4e6d-90e4-c0d837c4ccec"}]}

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