Jeannetta Blackmon, also known as Jeannetta Regan, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for orchestrating a fraudulent loan scheme that resulted in over $1.5 million being obtained from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program. The announcement was made by Lawrence J. Cameron, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Blackmon will also serve two years of supervised release and must pay $1,549,737 in restitution.
Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina, joined Cameron in announcing the sentence. “Blackmon defrauded loan programs put in place to support businesses fighting to survive during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Cameron. He emphasized that this office is committed to prosecuting those who exploit government assistance programs for personal gain.
DeWitt added that Blackmon not only prepared fraudulent applications for herself but also charged others to falsify their applications as well. “The FBI will make every effort to ensure federal relief funds are used as intended,” he stated.
Court records reveal that from April 2020 to November 2021, Blackmon executed a scheme targeting the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and SBA-backed lenders by submitting false information regarding her businesses' financials under J Renee Enterprises, Jeannetta Renee Girls Talk, and Jrenee Investments. This led to her obtaining more than $319,000 in disaster relief funds.
Additionally, Blackmon collected over $300,000 in fees from clients who paid her to submit fraudulent PPP and EIDL applications on their behalf. Her customers received more than $1.2 million based on these false submissions.
Blackmon pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering on July 25, 2023. She remains released on bond until she reports to a designated federal facility.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI with prosecution handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caryn Finley and Benjamin Bain-Creed.
Reports of attempted COVID-19-related fraud can be made through the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline or its web complaint form.