Jackson, Miss. – A Flora woman was arrested Monday after being indicted by a federal grand jury on criminal charges related to her alleged fraud scheme involving federal COVID-19 Paycheck Protection Program loans, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge James F. Boyersmith of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General, Miami Field Office.
According to court documents, Tarshuana Thomas, 34, devised a scheme to obtain PPP funds by filing fraudulent loan applications with entities providing loans as part of the Paycheck Protection Program, including Fountainhead SPF and Capital Plus Financial. Thomas was employed as a Correctional Officer with the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Federal Correctional Complex (FCC) Yazoo City at the time of the alleged conduct.
Thomas is charged with two counts of wire fraud. The case is set for trial on September 12, 2022. If convicted, Thomas faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count.
The Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Purdie is prosecuting the case.
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 Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.