The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington sentenced Tyler Keith Andrews, 39, of Russellville, Arkansas, to more than 16 years in federal prison today for illegally obtaining millions of dollars in COVID-19 funds.
United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice also ordered three years of supervised release, $16,330,814.30 in restitution to the Small Business Administration (SBA), and a forfeiture of $4,300,474.75, according to the agency.
According to the agency, between June 2020 and May 2022, Andrews, who was then a resident of Arkansas, facilitated the filing of dozens of fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) applications on behalf of coconspirators.
Court documents and information provided at the sentencing revealed that Andrews charged his co-conspirators a fee, typically 10% of the loan amount, which was paid after the money was delivered, according to the department.
The government claimed that Andrews helped his co-conspirators earn at least $13,449,179 in false EIDL funds.
The agency also stated that Andrews submitted several fake EIDL and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) applications for his own firms, including Andrews Associates, Inc., Texas Oil and Gas Express, Inc., and Total Logistic Solutions.
According to the agency, these applications included false statements about the company’s status, payroll, employee numbers, and income in order to obtain funding.
Andrews received at least $3,253,541 in EIDL and PPP cash for his own businesses as a result of his fraudulent activities, according to the agency.
His company, TE Andrews Holdings, LLC, also received $1,232,000 in SBA loans fraudulently, according to the agency.