Former Cincinnati resident sentenced to 2 years in prison for fraud related to pandemic relief funds

Summary

A press release of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Ohio dated Wednesday, January 29, 2025, announcing that Lashawnda Alexander, 40, currently of Katy, Texas, and formerly of Cincinnati, was sentenced to 24 months in prison after a jury convicted her of three counts of wire fraud in August 2024. According to the release, on June 23, 2020, she applied for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan stating that her business employed 10 employees and had $125,000 in gross revenue, and minutes later another application was submitted from the same device in the name of a family member. It states that on June 24, 2020, she applied for an EIDL for TressD LLC, a hair and nail salon she said employed 15 employees with $175,000 in revenue. In total she attempted to obtain at least $137,500 and received $91,000, including $20,000 in grants.

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Press Release

Former Cincinnati resident sentenced to 2 years in prison for fraud related to pandemic relief funds

Wednesday, January 29, 2025

For Immediate Release

U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Ohio

CINCINNATI – A woman who formerly resided in Cincinnati was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 24 months in prison for crimes related to pandemic relief fraud.

Lashawnda Alexander, 40, currently of Katy, Texas, was convicted of three counts of wire fraud following a jury trial in August 2024.

According to court documents and trial testimony, in June 2020, Alexander submitted several fraudulent COVID-19 relief loan applications.

Specifically, on June 23, 2020, Alexander applied for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) for business “Lashawnda Alexander.” Alexander stated in the application that the business employed 10 employees and had $125,000 in gross revenue in the year prior to January 31, 2020. Minutes later using the same device another application was submitted in the name of a family member claiming that the business employed 10 employees and had $120,000 in gross revenue.

The next day, on June 24, 2020, Alexander applied for an EIDL for business “TressD LLC,” a hair and nail salon that she said employed 15 employees and made gross revenue of $175,000 during the prior year.

In total, Alexander attempted to obtain at least $137,500 and ultimately received $91,000 in EIDL funds, including $20,000 in grants. On June 25, 2020, Alexander electronically signed an EIDL loan authorization and agreement for business TressD LLC certifying that the representations made in the loan application were true, correct and complete. Alexander’s applications, however, contradicted her 2019 tax return.

In the following months, Alexander bought a Mercedes Benz SUV and moved to Texas all while continuing to collect pandemic unemployment assistance from the Ohio Department of Job & Family Services.

Alexander was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2022.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Yvonne Dicristoforo, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service, announced the sentence imposed on Jan. 28 by U.S. District Judge Matthew W. McFarland. Assistant United States Attorneys Ebunoluwa A. Taiwo and Anthony Springer represented the United States in this case. The case was investigated by members of the Financial Crimes Working Group Pandemic Fraud Committee.

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Updated January 30, 2025

Topics

Coronavirus

Financial Fraud

Component

USAO - Ohio, Southern

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