A Mississippi woman has admitted to defrauding the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) of over $5 million. The program was designed to assist small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Reagan Fondren, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the guilty plea.
On February 20, 2025, Lisa Evans, aged 42 from Olive Branch, Mississippi, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Thomas L. Parker to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Her sentencing is scheduled for May 22, 2025. She faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison as there is no parole in the federal system.
Court documents revealed that Evans submitted fraudulent PPP loan applications on behalf of individuals who were not eligible for these loans. These applications included false information and fake federal tax documents. Once the individuals received their PPP loan funds, they paid Evans kickbacks ranging from 20 to 30 percent. The total loss to the PPP program amounted to $5,126,258.
Acting U.S. Attorney Fondren commented: “Individuals cheating the Paycheck Protection Program stole money from U.S. taxpayers who desperately needed these loans to keep their small businesses afloat and pay their employees during the COVID-19 pandemic." He extended his gratitude towards several federal law enforcement agencies for uncovering this fraud and bringing Evans to justice: "the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General; the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General; the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, Gulf States Field Division; the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General; the U.S. Secret Service, Memphis Field Office; and the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee."
Fondren also acknowledged Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Arvin's role in prosecuting this case.
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