MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A federal Grand Jury has indicted a Memphis woman accused of buying a Maserati, going to concerts, trips, and gambling, using money from a PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) scheme.
The U.S. Department of Justice said the federal grand jury last month charged Kenyatta Danielle Hooper, 34, with wire fraud in a six-count indictment. Hooper was arrested on Friday, May 27, 2022.
The PPP loans were designed to provide help to folks suffering economic effects from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The DOJ said Hooper illegally obtained thousands of dollars in PPP money for herself and others by filling out – and getting others to fill out – fake PPP loan applications and faking documents to support the applications. Investigators said Hooper also took kickbacks from those she helped fill out the fake applications.
The DOJ said Hooper certified she would use the money for permissible expenses – like payroll, rent or mortgage, and utilities – but instead bought a Maserati and went traveling, gambling, and to concerts with it.
Hooper faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each wire fraud count if convicted. There is no parole in the federal system.
