Federal Reserve Arrests 23 Texans Over Paycheck Protection Program Fraud

SHERMAN, TX (CBSDFW.COM) Nearly two dozen Texans have been charged with federal charges related to an alleged fraud scheme that involved funds from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), officials announced Friday.

Brit Featherston, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas, announced that 23 people were named in a federal grand jury indictment January 17, 2023. They were all charged with conspiracy to money laundering and appeared before a federal judge. a week.

The accused scammers were named:

• Kendrick Lavell Collins, 42, of Aubrey;
• Letitia Ann Stover, 41, of Richardson;
• Spencer Leonard Lee, 35, from Everman;
• Danuel Fowler Edney, 51, from Plano;
• Diamond Plachette Edwards, 24, from Grande Prairie;
• Tabitha LaShawn DeBerry, 34, from Dallas;
• Amos Wilson, 56, from Dallas;
• Andrew DeMarcus Penny, 45, from Dallas;
• Demetrix Devon Black, 31, from Dallas;
• Jarrik Otishey Buchanan, 43, from Dallas;
• Jerica Jaris Matthews, 31, Anna;
• John Gant, 35, from Dallas;
• Lemar Machon Cohen, aka Lemar Marchon Cohen, 36, from Dallas;
• Chibuike Samuel Yves, 30, from Colonia;
• Cynthia Meschel Wilson, 55, from Dallas;
• Dontrell Lamon Amy, 42, from North Richland Hills;
• Eric Jason Vaughan, 49, from Arlington;
• Jeremiah Lee Gant, 28, from Dallas;
• Joshua Matthew Baham, 27, Anna;
• Lesley Odell Brown, 32, from Carrollton;
• Michael Andre Studaway, 26, from Dallas;
• Tamara Dawn Thomas, 41, from Dallas; and
• Timothy Duane Hoston, 44, from Carrollton.

The prosecutor’s office alleges that the 23 people charged were involved in a conspiracy to launder money obtained criminally from the PPP. The accused conspirators allegedly opened bank accounts under false names to transfer, withdraw and move money for their own benefit.

According to the indictment, the defendants illegally obtained $3.5 million through several different types of fraud. These include business email compromise, romance scams, unemployment insurance scams, and PPP scams.

If found guilty, each alleged conspirator faces up to 20 years in prison.