LAKELAND, Fla. — United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announced the unsealing of nine indictments charging 12 people with wire fraud.
According to the indictments, the 12 people were either members or associates of the Lakeland-based Hood Boys gang. The following people were charged:
25-year-old Jamilah T’Asia Johnson of Winter Haven, as well as Lakeland residents 29-year-old Khalid Preston, 25-year-old Nickolas Lavonsoa Brantley, 34-year-old Alexis Lafaye Flournoy, 35-year-old Quinton Lakeith Owens, 35-year-old Tinika Sykes, 39-year-old Richard James Grimes, Jr., 31-year-old Kenny White, 31-year-old Anthony Grant, 27-year-old Jacquez Howard, 28-year-old Treasure Johnson, and 24-year-old Letor’e Webster.
They are accused of devising a scheme to defraud the U.S. Small Business Administration by submitting false and fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications. These programs were some of the sources of economic relief provided for by the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. While each claimed to operate a business, that statement in each PPP loan application was false, according to officials.
Kehoe said each of the defendants received between $13,854 and $20,416. And instead of repaying the loans, officials said they either applied for the loans to be forgiven (which they were) or defaulted on them, according to the indictments.
According to officials, the defendants spent the money on vehicle payments and liquor store, clothing store, and gun store purchases, totaling in $236,000.
If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.
Elderly woman discovers over $100,000 in unclaimed funds thanks to an officer
"I get a bunch of mail every night saying that I won money. It went from like $40,000 to $80,000," said an 88-year-old local woman, who just went by Barbara.
