Laplace Resident Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud for Role in Preparing and Submitting Fraudulent Cares Act Financial Assistance Applications
Summary
Munira Schofield, 28, of LaPlace, La. pleaded guilty on May 23, 2024 before U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon to conspiracy to commit wire fraud over fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) applications, U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced. Lynn Schofield, Munira Schofield's mother, and Bashir Schofield, a brother, had already pleaded guilty. According to court documents, each family member filed at least one application claiming a sole proprietorship with overinflated gross receipts, for entities that did not exist or earned far less. Munira Schofield applied for an EIDL loan for a claimed business, "Just Jocin," and helped inflate receipts for other loans, including one for Afromerica Touch 360, LLC. The conduct caused a loss of approximately $219,033 to the SBA, with sentencing set for August 22, 2024.
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NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that MUNIRA SCHOFIELD (“SCHOFIELD”) , age 28, a resident of LaPlace, La., pleaded guilty on May 23, 2024 before United States District Judge Eldon E. Fallon to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 371 and 1343. The charges stem from SCHOFIELD’s role in a conspiracy to prepare and file fraudulent applications for loans related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). SCHOFIELD’s mother, Lynn Schofield (“Lynn”), and brother, Bashir Schofield (“Bashir”), previously pled guilty for their respective roles in the offense. According to court documents, SCHOFIELD, Lynn and Bashir submitted applications to obtain money from Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and Economic Injury Disaster (EIDL) loans fraudulently. Each defendant submitted at least one loan. All applications falsely represented that the applicant had a sole proprietorship and generated substantial income from the business by overinflating gross receipts. The entities either did not exist or earned far less money than they reported. They also represented that the loan proceeds would be used for business related purposes, when, in fact, the defendants intended to use the money for personal reasons. SCHOFIELD submitted a fraudulent application for an EIDL loan for a business she claimed to own, “Just Jocin.” In conjunction with her mother, Lynn, SCHOFIELD also gave false material information to the SBA that grossly inflated the monthly gross receipts to support other loans, including for an entity named “Afromerica Touch 360, LLC,” and used some of the resulting funds for her personal benefit. In total, MUNIRA SCHOFIELD admitted that her conduct resulted in a loss of approximately $219,033 to the SBA. MUNIRA SCHOFIELD faces up to five (5) years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. Sentencing before Judge Fallon has been scheduled for August 22, 2024. For more information on the Department of Justice’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, is in charge of the prosecution. * * *
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