Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced a guilty plea and restitution involving a former state employee who unlawfully obtained COVID-19 relief funds. Candice Brumfield, 35, from Woodridge, Illinois, admitted to one count of theft, classified as a Class 2 felony. She fraudulently applied for and secured a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan and an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) amounting to approximately $28,408.
Brumfield paid $5,000 in upfront restitution and was sentenced by DuPage County Circuit Court Judge Mia S. McPherson to pay an additional $27,175 in restitution, along with completing two years of second chance probation.
“Loans from the Small Business Administration were vital for the survival of countless small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is egregious anyone – especially a government employee – would take advantage of these programs for their own financial benefit,” Raoul said. “I thank DuPage County State’s Attorney Berlin for his partnership on this case, and I will continue working to ensure individuals who exploited pandemic assistance programs for personal financial benefit are held accountable.”
Raoul's office accused Brumfield, then an employee of the Illinois Department of Employment Security, of falsely obtaining a PPP loan and acquiring loan forgiveness in 2021. She also secured an EIDL in 2020 by misrepresenting her business details.
DuPage County State’s Attorney Bob Berlin said, “Ms. Brumfield’s greed knew no bounds. At a time when the entire country was reeling from a global pandemic and businesses were going under, she took that opportunity to line her pockets at the expense of legitimate businesses just trying to stay afloat.”
This case is part of Attorney General Raoul's ongoing efforts to address pandemic-related fraud. His office has prosecuted several cases like Brumfield’s and referred additional cases to appropriate authorities.
Assistant Attorney General Mara Somlo prosecuted the case for the Public Integrity Bureau.