Kipterrez James, a 44-year-old resident of Cincinnati, has been sentenced to 13 months in prison by the U.S. District Court for fraud related to COVID-19 pandemic relief. The court documents reveal that in 2021, James applied for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan under the guise of operating a taxi/rideshare business named "Kip James."
At the time of his application, James was residing in a halfway house in Cincinnati after completing a 92-month federal prison term for illegal firearm possession as a felon. He used the halfway house address on his PPP loan application.
James falsely claimed that his supposed business had grossed approximately $99,000 in 2019 while he was still incarcerated. To support his fraudulent loan request, he submitted a forged bank statement.
He successfully obtained nearly $21,000 through this deception and used the funds on personal expenses such as dining out, shopping for clothing and liquor, and traveling to Las Vegas.
In addition to his prison sentence, James has been ordered to repay $20,725 in restitution. He pleaded guilty to making false statements to the federal government in September 2024.
The announcement of the sentencing was made by Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Angie M. Salazar, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Landry.