BATON ROUGE — The Middle District of Louisiana announced several charges and guilty pleas on Tuesday as part of a nationwide crackdown targeting fraud on the Small Business Administration's Paycheck Protection Program.

The PPP is a loan program launched by the SBA during COVID-19 to help businesses pay their employees, mortgages, rent and utilities. Applications for new loans closed in May 2021.

This year, from June 12 to Sept. 1, federal prosecutors from across the country, led by the Justice Department's National Fraud Enforcement Division, the SBA and the SBA Office of Inspector General, facilitated enforcement actions spanning over 160 criminals, including 80 newly charged defendants, totaling $245 million in intended loss to taxpayers.

“Millions of taxpayer dollars have been wrongfully obtained through fraudulent PPP loans. Our office is committed to finding those who have scammed the system, and we will prosecute them to the fullest extent possible,” U.S. Attorney Kurt Wall said in a prepared statement. 

In the Middle District of Louisiana, 17 defendants have been prosecuted as part of this takedown.

Charges announced:
Jovan Renee Darbonne, 47, of Baton Rouge, charged with making false statements to a financial institution on Aug. 31; she pleaded guilty.

Brelle Ford, 34, and Rydell Banks, Jr., 28, of Geismar, were indicted on conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and making a false statement to a bank charges on Aug. 26.

Michelle W. Jackson, 52, and Ryachanelle L. Morris, 29, of Denham Springs and Vacherie, were indicted on wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud charges on Aug. 12.

Cedrick Kelly, 45, of Denham Springs, was indicted on wire fraud charges on Aug. 12.

Elton R. Kelly, 46, of Baton Rouge, was indicted on wire fraud charges on Aug. 12.

Chris Plant Jr., 39, of White Castle, was indicted on wire fraud and making a false statement to a bank charges on June 17.

Marvin Richardson, 29, of Baton Rouge, was indicted on wire fraud charges on Aug. 20.

Guilty pleas and sentences announced:
Keerria Anderson, 33, of Baton Rouge, was sentenced to two years of supervised release and ordered to pay $50,962 in restitution after pleading guilty to wire fraud on Aug. 6.

Lashae M. Bell, 33, and Johntrell Jamar White, 32, of Gonzales and Simmesport, were sentenced to 30 months and 27 months in federal prison for conspiring to defraud COVID-19 relief programs on July 9 and July 28, respectively. Bell was ordered to pay $851,241 in restitution, while White was ordered to pay $830,409.

Daysha Renee Blount, 34, of Gonzales, pled guilty to wire fraud for fraudulently obtaining over $83,000 in Paycheck Protection Program loan proceeds on Aug. 13.

Maletica V. Ferguson, 49, Vanshion J. Byrd, 51, and Makyro V. Ferguson, 26, all of Baton Rouge, pled guilty to conspiring to fraudulently obtain pandemic-relief funds through PPP, EIDL, and unemployment programs on July 7 and July 21.

Lonell Taylor, 32, of Baton Rouge, was sentenced to five months in federal prison and ordered to pay $126,985.16 in restitution after pleading guilty to fraud on June 30.