Shaquaila Lewis, also known as Shaquaila Lewis-Chatman, has been sentenced to 27 months in federal prison for wire fraud. The 36-year-old from Gibsland, Louisiana, was convicted of defrauding the Small Business Administration (SBA) and various financial institutions by falsifying loan applications under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), both part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. delivered the sentence, which includes three years of supervised release following imprisonment. Restitution will be determined at a later date.
The CARES Act was established in March 2020 to provide emergency financial assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic. It included provisions for low-interest loans through EIDL and forgivable loans via PPP for small businesses.
Lewis's fraudulent activities led to over $1.1 million in losses through multiple fake loan applications involving herself and others. In one instance, she submitted a false PPP application in February 2021 to Square Capital under Perfect Memories Travel's name, seeking approximately $20,833. She falsely claimed that funds would be used "to retain workers and maintain payroll." Shortly after submission, Square Capital disbursed about $20,583 into her bank account, which she then used for personal expenses.
The investigation was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg along with Assistant Chief Justin M. Woodard from the Department of Justice Criminal Division – Fraud Section.