Central Florida woman sentenced to federal prison for COVID-19 relief fraud

OCALA, Fla. — An Ocala woman is headed to federal prison for fraudulently obtaining more than $20,000 in COVID-19 relief funds.

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According to court records, in April of 2021, now 31-year-old Passion Jackson submitted an application to the Small Business Administration for a loan through the Paycheck Protection Program.

The Federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief ad Economic Security (CARES) Act was enacted in March of 2020 to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans who were suffering the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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One form of relief included potentially forgivable PPP loans to small businesses, meant to help with job retention and other expenses.

Investigators say Jackson submitted a loan application with false information on it, and on April 6, 2021, received an electronic wire transfer of $20,132 to her bank account. She was also accused of providing a fake IRS document in support of the application.

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According to the Justice Department, Jackson withdrew the funds in cash within 30 days of the deposit.

She was indicted back in July on one count of wire fraud related to the CARES Act and pleaded guilty on September 11.

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On Thursday, United States Attorney Roger Handberg announced that a judge had sentenced Jackson to spend two years in federal prison.

As part of the judgement, Jackson was also ordered to turn over the $20,132 obtained from the scheme.

The case was investigated by the Ocala Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

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