PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD)– A Peoria man was sentenced to three years probation for making false statements related to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
A DOJ news release states that 25-year-old Andre Johnson will also have to serve six months of home detention and pay restitution totaling $30,586.05.
The PPP provided small businesses with federal funds impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic with eight weeks of payroll, rent, utilities, and mortgage.
Johnson was indicted in March 2023 before pleading guilty in June 2023 to making a false statement to obtain PPP loans. When filing for a PPP loan, Johnson falsely claimed to be self-employed and the sole proprietor of a jewelry and watch wholesale store with a taxable gross income of $100,000.
In addition to the fraudulent loan, Johson tried to obtain over $26,000 worth of unemployment benefits from four different states.
He has been ordered to pay back losses to SBA and Harvest Small Business Fianance LLC.
The Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office, investigated the case.
Criminal Chief Darilynn J. Knauss was the government prosecutor.
