DeSoto woman sentenced: used PPP loans to pay off Maserati, purchase property
A guard tower and razor wire at a prison in Texas. (Photo by Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images)
DeSOTO, Texas - A Texas woman was sentenced on Tuesday to three years and five months in prison for her role in a scheme to file fraudulent applications for Paycheck Protection Program loans during the COVID-19 pandemic.
What we know:
Shantelle Hawkins, 43, of DeSoto, pleaded guilty in October to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
According to court documents, Hawkins conspired to submit 17 fraudulent PPP loan applications between May 2020 and March 2021. The applications, filed on behalf of companies she or her relatives owned, contained false information about payroll and tax details used to calculate loan amounts.
Prosecutors said Hawkins used some of the proceeds for personal expenses, including paying off a 2015 Maserati Ghibli and purchasing property in the Dallas area.
At her sentencing, Hawkins was ordered to pay more than $1.8 million in restitution and forfeit the residence bought with the fraudulent funds.
What you can do:
The Justice Department encourages anyone with information about attempted COVID-19 fraud to contact its National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or visit www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The Source: Information in this article is from the Office of Public Affairs.