Calah Williams has been convicted of stealing EIDL, PPP, and UI benefits provided by the CARES Act during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Williams stole from programs designed to help the public during a global crisis and now she will face the consequences,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “This prosecution demonstrates our office’s continuing commitment to holding individuals accountable for defrauding the CARES Act program.”
Special Agent in Charge Scott Moffit emphasized the unwavering dedication of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and its partners in their pursuit, capture, and prosecution of individuals attempting to defraud the American people. Their collaborative investigative endeavors, along with the prosecutorial efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, underscore their commitment to safeguarding the interests of the American public.
U.S. Attorney Buchanan stated that Williams has been charged with defrauding multiple government agencies, which include the Small Business Administration and 10 state agencies responsible for UI benefits. Williams allegedly filed fraudulent applications for EIDL, PPP, and UI benefits, sometimes using stolen personally identifying information. These applications contained false information such as income numbers, number of employees, employee names, and applicant information. Williams filed a total of 42 EIDL applications, 16 PPP applications, and 177 fraudulent UI benefits applications, seeking at least approximately $4,879,641. While most of her fraudulent activity was detected and stopped, she was able to obtain around $1,026,241.
Calah Williams, a 29-year-old resident of Port St. Lucie, Florida, received her sentence from U.S. District Judge Leigh Martin May. She has been sentenced to three years in prison, with an additional three years of supervised release. In addition, Williams has been ordered to pay $1,026,241 in restitution. The charges that led to her conviction were brought against her on July 31, 2024, after she pleaded guilty.
The U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration conducted an investigation into this case. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Samir Kaushal.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General took action by establishing the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force. This task force aims to unite the Department of Justice with other government agencies to combat and prevent fraud related to the pandemic.
By joining forces, the task force strengthens efforts to investigate and prosecute both domestic and international criminals who are most responsible for these fraudulent activities.
Additionally, it supports agencies in charge of relief programs to prevent fraud by incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing valuable information and insights gained from previous enforcement efforts. For more information about the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit their official website at https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
If you have any information regarding suspected cases of fraud related to COVID-19, you can report it by contacting the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721. Alternatively, you can submit a complaint through the NCDF Web Complaint Form available at the following link: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Contact the Public Affairs Office of the U.S. Attorney by sending an email to [email protected] or calling (404) 581-6016 for more information. You can also visit the official website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia at http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.