Information — United States v. John J. Diehl, Jr., Eastern District of Missouri (Doc. 1)

Summary

A criminal information in United States of America v. John J. Diehl, Jr., Case 4:25-cr-00483-SEP, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, Eastern Division, filed September 11, 2025 as Doc. #: 1. Count One charges wire fraud in a scheme to obtain approximately $379,900.00 from the Small Business Administration through an EIDL loan to Diehl Law Group, LLC, which the information describes as having no employees other than Diehl. It alleges that the SBA funded $93,900.00 on or about June 9, 2020 and $285,000.00 on or about April 12, 2022 under a loan modification. The information alleges that the proceeds paid for automobiles, credit cards, a residence mortgage, country club dues and cash withdrawals, and that $50,039.55 and $150,000.00 were moved to the Diehl Law Group Defined Benefit Plan.

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“Information — United States v. John J. Diehl, Jr., Eastern District of Missouri (Doc. 1).” Original at archive.org. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/information-no-4-25-cr-00483-dkt-1-e-d-mo-7fe25858e9/, SHA-256 df496e9fcd403ef7ab21e552bcd6627f97e438ee98767f7436c34e8d52e27b50.

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Case: 4:25-cr-00483-SEP Doc. #: 1 Filed: 09/11/25 Page: 1 of 6 PageID #: 1
FILED
SEP 11 2025
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT U.S. DISTRICT COURT
EASTERN DISTRICT OF MO
EASTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI ST. LOUIS
EASTERN DIVISION

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. )
)
Plaintiff, )
)
)
V.
) 4:25-CR-00483 SEP
JOHN J. DIEHL. J R. )
)
Defendant. )

INFORM ATION

THE UNITED STATES ATTORNE Y CHARGES:

CO UNT I
WIRE FRAUD

A. INTRODUCTIO

At all times relevant to the Information:

I. The COYID-19 pandemic had a significant effect on the nation and its

eco nomy. Stay -at-home orders, social distancing requirements. and reduced consumer

demand early in the pandemic caused both temporary and permanent business closures.

particu larly among small busi nesses. To help support small businesses, in March 2020,

Cong ress passed the CARES Act that. among other things. provided funds for two new Small

Business Administration (hereinafter referred to as --sBA") pandemic relief programs: the

Paycheck Protection Program (hereinafter referred to as "PPP") and the Economic Injury

Disaster Loan (hereinafter referred to as .. EIDL").

2. The EIDL program was a pandemic relief program managed by the S 8A in

which small businesses could apply for deferred. low interest loans to be used strictly for

working capital. payroll, and other fixed debts of the business caused by the Pandemic in 2020 .

As of April 2021. the maximum permitted EIDL loan was $ 500.000 .00 per borrower.
Case: 4:25-cr-00483-SEP Doc. #: 1 Filed: 09/11/25 Page: 2 of 6 PageID #: 2

•3. The Diehl Law Group, LLC (hereinafter referred to as "Diehl Law Group'')

was a law firm with its office located in St. Louis, Missouri.

4. The Defendant, John J. Diehl, Jr. (hereinafter referred to as --oJEHL")

was the sole owner and operator of Diehl Law Group, which had no other employees.

B. SCHEME TO DEFRAUD

5. Beginning in or about March 2020 and continuing through in or about February

2024, both dates being approximate and inclusive, in the Ea tern District of Missouri and

elsewhere, defendant,

JOHN J. DIEHL, JR.,

devised, intended to devise, and knowingly participated in a scheme to defraud and for obtaining

money and property from The United States of America Small Business Administration, in an

approximate amount of $379,900.00, by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses,

representations, and promises.

6. It was a part of the scheme that, on or about March 30, 2020, Defendant DIEHL,

on behalf of Diehl Law Group, submitted an online loan application to the SBA seeking an ElDL

loan for pandemic-related economic assistance.

7. It was a further part of the scheme that on or about June 6, 2020, prior to receiving

the EIDL loan, the Defendant DIEHL electronically signed a SBA ·'Loan Authorization and

Agreement" form in which he represented and certified that Diehl Law Group ·' . .. will use all the

proceeds of this Loan solely as working capital to alleviate economic injury caused by disaster

occurring in the month of January 31, 2020 and continuing thereafter .... ••

8. It was a further part of the scheme that on or about April 16, 2020, an advance of

$1,000.00 relative to the ElDL loan application was approved and, on or about April 21 2020,

was funded by the SBA, and $1 ,000.00 was then electronically transmitted by wire from the United

2
Case: 4:25-cr-00483-SEP Doc. #: 1 Filed: 09/11/25 Page: 3 of 6 PageID #: 3

States Treasury into the Diehl Law Group, LLC, dba Outside GC Services bank account ending in

2494 at UMB Bank (hereinafter referred to as --Diehl Law Group Bank Account"). On or about

April 27, 2020, Defendant DIEHL made a payment of $1,320.15 to a country club, which

impermissibly included the recently deposited EIDL loan advance of $1.000.00.

9. It was a further part of the scheme that on or about June 6, 2020, the EIDL loan

application was approved and , on or about June 9, 2020, was funded by the SBA , and $93 ,900.00

was then electronically transmitted by wire from the United States Treasury into the Diehl Law

Group Bank Account.

l 0. It was a further part of the scheme that following receipt of the EIDL loan proceeds,

DIEHL transferred some of the funds from the Diehl Law Group Bank Account to his personal

bank accounts. It was a further part of the scheme that between on or about June I 0, 2020 and

August 16, 202 I, Defendant DIEHL impermissibly used the EIDL loan proceeds for

impermissible personal use and purposes, unrelated to working capital for Diehl Law Group. The

impermissible personal use and purposes included, but were not limited to, payments on personal

Tesla, Audi and Jeep automobiles, payments on personal credit cards, payments on a personal

residence mortgage, payments for a family member' s college tuition, payments for a pool

maintenance company, payments for country club dues and fees, and cash withdrawals for personal

use and expenses. Additionally, on or about September 16, 2020, Defendant DIEHL

impermissibly transferred $50,039.55 of the EIDL loan proceeds to the Diehl Law Group Defined

Benefit Plan at Fidelity Investment Company. DIEHL was the only participant in the Defined

Benefit Plan.

11 . It was a part of the scheme that, during in or about March. 2022, Defendant

DIEHL on behalf of Diehl Law Group, requested an EIDL loan modification from the SBA for

pandemic-related economic assistance.
3
Case: 4:25-cr-00483-SEP Doc. #: 1 Filed: 09/11/25 Page: 4 of 6 PageID #: 4

12. It was a further part of the scheme that on or about April 6, 2022, prior to receiving

the EIDL loan modification funds, the Defendant DIEHL electronically signed a SBA ·'Amended

Loan Authorization and Agreement" form in which he represented and certified that Diehl Law

Group " .. .will use all the proceeds of this Loan solely as working capital to alleviate economic

injury caused by disaster occurring in the month of January 31, 2020 and continuing thereafter .... "

13 . It was a further part of the scheme that on or about April 6, 2022, the EIDL loan

modification application was approved and, on or about April 12, 2022, was funded by the SBA,

and $285,000.00 was then electronically transmitted by wire from the United States Treasury into

the Diehl Law Group Bank Account.

14. It was a further part of the scheme that following receipt of the EIDL modified loan

proceeds, DIEHL transferred some of the funds from the Diehl Law Group Bank Account to his

personal bank accounts. It was a further part of the scheme that between on or about Apri 1 14,

2022 and June 21 , 2023, DIEHL impermissibly used the EIDL modified loan proceeds for

unauthorized personal use and purposes, unrelated to working capital for Diehl Law Group. The

personal use and purposes included, but were not limited to, payments on personal credit cards,

payments of legal fees relative to a personal legal matter, payments for a family member' s college

tuition, payments on a personal residence mortgage, and cash withdrawals for personal use and

expenses. Additionally, on or about September 16, 2022, DIEHL impermissibly transferred

$150,000.00 of the EIDL modified loan proceeds to the Diehl

4
Case: 4:25-cr-00483-SEP Doc. #: 1 Filed: 09/11/25 Page: 5 of 6 PageID #: 5

Law Group Defined Benefit Plan at Fidelity Investment Company. of which DIEHL was the sole

participant.

C. THE WIRE

COUNT ONE

15. On or about April 12, 2022, within the Ea tern District of Mis ouri and el ewhere,

for the purpose of executing the above-describ d scheme to defraud and to obtain money and

property by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses. and repre entation , the defendant.

JOHN J. DIEHL, JR..

did kno ingly tran mit and cau e to be transmitted by mean of \ ire communication in and

affecting interstate commerce, certain writings, signs, and signals. that is the Defendant caused the

SBA Denver Finance Center located in Denver, Colorado to transmit payment information through

the FMS system in Sterling, Virginia to the nited tate Trea ury Department which

electronically transmitted $285,000.00 in EIDL loan funds to the Diehl Law Group LLC Bank

Account at UMB Bank in Mi souri , hich funds Defendant later used for personal use and

purposes unrelated to the working capital of the Diehl Law Group.

In violation of Title 18, nited State Code. ection 1343.

Respectfully submitted.

THOMAS . ALBUS

HAL GOLDSMITH , #32984MO
Assistant United States Attorney

5
Case: 4:25-cr-00483-SEP Doc. #: 1 Filed: 09/11/25 Page: 6 of 6 PageID #: 6

ITED ST ATES OF AMERICA )
EASTERN DIVISIO )
EA TERN DISTRICT OF MIS OUR! )

I, Hal Goldsmith, As istant United State Attorney for the Eastern District of Mis ouri, being

duly sworn, do say that the foregoing infonnatio is true as I veri ly belie e.

Subscribed and sworn to before me this 18th day of August, 2025.

Na than M. Graves

CLERK. U.. DISTRICT CO RT

By: ~/4,,.._~~
_ _._
;t,_ W. z;;~_~ __,,,,._
-_
~ DEPUTY CLERK~

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