Former Assistant Atlanta City Attorney and police officer charged in $7 million PPP fraud scheme

ATLANTA – Shelitha Robertson, who previously served as an Assistant Metropolis Lawyer and a police officer for the Metropolis of Atlanta, has been indicted for an alleged scheme to defraud the Paycheck Safety Program (PPP), a federal stimulus program licensed as a part of the Coronavirus Assist, Reduction, and Financial Safety (CARES) Act.

“Robertson allegedly stole hundreds of thousands of {dollars} in taxpayer cash supposed to assist small companies keep afloat through the pandemic,” mentioned U.S. Lawyer Ryan Ok. Buchanan. “CARES Act loans have been designed to assist maintain small companies through the pandemic, to not function a supply of private enrichment.  We’ll proceed to vigorously examine and prosecute anybody who fraudulently obtains these vital funds.”

“This indictment expenses the defendant with defrauding a authorities stimulus program designed to assist these most in want through the pandemic,” mentioned Federal Deposit Insurance coverage Company Inspector Basic Jay N. Lerner.  “We’ll proceed to work with U.S. Attorneys and our regulation enforcement companions to carry accountable people that purpose to undermine the integrity of the banking sector. Trusted members of our communities, resembling former regulation enforcement officers and public officers, ought to be held to the very best requirements.”

“The Paycheck Safety Program was supposed to assist companies preserve their workforce employed through the COVID-19 disaster, to not fund a private way of life,” mentioned U.S. Small Enterprise Administration Workplace of Inspector Basic Japanese Area Particular Agent in Cost Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite. “OIG is dedicated to rooting out dangerous actors and defending the integrity of SBA applications. I need to thank the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace and our regulation enforcement companions for his or her dedication and pursuit of justice.”

“The Treasury Inspector Basic for Tax Administration aggressively pursues those that try to abuse the Coronavirus Assist, Reduction, and Financial Safety Act and its Paycheck Safety Program, which was created to help respectable enterprise house owners through the pandemic,” mentioned J. Russell George, the Treasury Inspector Basic for Tax Administration.  “We respect the efforts of our regulation enforcement companions and the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace to make sure people engaged in felony exercise are held to account.”

In line with U.S. Lawyer Buchanan, the fees, and different info introduced in court docket: Shelitha Robertson and different co-conspirators allegedly submitted fraudulent PPP mortgage functions on behalf of assorted firms they owned and managed. The indictment alleges that Robertson fraudulently obtained over $7 million in PPP mortgage funds, which was not used for payroll or different permitted enterprise bills. Robertson allegedly used mortgage proceeds to buy luxurious gadgets, together with a Rolls-Royce, a motorbike, and jewellery, and to switch funds to members of the family and co-conspirators.

Shelitha Robertson, 60, of Atlanta, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and cash laundering.  Members of the general public are reminded that the indictment solely incorporates expenses.  The defendant is presumed harmless of the fees and it will likely be the federal government’s burden to show the defendant’s guilt past an affordable doubt at trial.

This case is being investigated by the Federal Deposit Insurance coverage Company Workplace of Inspector Basic (FDIC-OIG), the U.S. Small Enterprise Administration Workplace of Inspector Basic (SBA-OIG), and Treasury Inspector Basic for Tax Administration (TIGTA).

Assistant U.S. Lawyer Bernita Malloy, and Trial Lawyer Ariel Glasner of the DOJ Prison Division’s Fraud Part, are prosecuting the case.

The Fraud Part leads the Prison Division’s prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the PPP. For the reason that inception of the CARES Act, the Fraud Part has prosecuted over 192 defendants in additional than 121 felony instances and has seized over $78 million in money proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, in addition to quite a few actual property properties and luxurious gadgets bought with such proceeds. Extra info may be discovered at https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/ppp-fraud.

In Might 2021 the Lawyer Basic established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Process Drive to marshal the assets of the Division of Justice in partnership with businesses throughout authorities to reinforce efforts to fight and stop pandemic-related fraud. The Process Drive bolsters efforts to research and prosecute probably the most culpable home and worldwide felony actors and assists businesses tasked with administering aid applications to stop fraud by augmenting and incorporating current coordination mechanisms, figuring out assets and methods to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing info and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For extra info on the division’s response to the pandemic, please go to https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

Anybody with details about allegations of tried fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Division of Justice’s Nationwide Middle for Catastrophe Fraud (NCDF) Hotline by way of the NCDF Net Grievance Kind at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

For additional info please contact the U.S. Lawyer’s Public Affairs Workplace at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016.  The Web deal with for the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.