JACKSONVILLE, FLa. – A 30-year-old woman faces over 25 years in prison after she was accused of defrauding the Small Business Administration through a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan, along with stealing victims' Social Security numbers, and wire fraud.
Carnisha Rogers and her co-conspirators fraudulently obtained several victims' Social Security, according to the State Attorney’s Office. From February 2016 to September 2019, Rogers convinced several individuals to use their Social Security numbers to get lines of credit at various businesses.
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After fraudulently obtaining the lines of credit, the State Attorney’s Office said she and her partner bought jewelry, merchandise, and a luxury vehicle. Rogers and her co-conspirators resold the merchandise on social media.
In May 2021, Rogers applied for a Paycheck Protection loan through the SBA.
Rogers claimed that she owned a business on her PPP loan application and exaggerated her income and expenses. “She established a fake business that did not exist,” the State Attorney’s Office said.
After filing with the Internal Revenue Service, she claimed she had a fully functioning business with operating expenses, gross income, and wage expenditures.
She was granted $20,832.
Once Rogers received the funds she began making withdrawals and spending them on personal expenses from her bank account.
In October 2021, Rogers submitted a request for a COVID relief loan from the Small Business Administration. She claimed that she spent over $18,000 on payroll costs, which allowed her to essentially write off the entire loan through the SBA, including interest.
Rodgers was federally indicted on four counts involving conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud, and four counts of false representation of a Social Security number involving a line of credit scheme and COVID relief fraud through the PPP