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Baton Rouge PPP Loan Fraud Lawyers

Baton Rouge PPP Loan Fraud Lawyers

Your PPP loan was flagged for audit. Federal agents in Baton Rouge contacted you about your Paycheck Protection Program application. Or your bank froze your account due to SBA investigation. You’re in Louisiana. A federal jury just convicted a Baton Rouge man in September 2025 for PPP fraud – he received $675,272 in PPP funds and used $75,500 to purchase a Dodge Viper. U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced him in August 2025. The Middle District of Louisiana prosecutes aggressively.

Thanks for visiting Spodek Law Group – a second-generation law firm managed by Todd Spodek. We’ve defended PPP fraud cases in Louisiana for over 40 years. We know how Middle District prosecutors charge pandemic loan fraud and what outcomes you’re facing.

The SBA approved your PPP loan in 2020 – sometimes in 24 hours – without verification. Now in 2025, they’re prosecuting. A Baton Rouge woman was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison for PPP fraud in December 2023. She owes $858,726 in restitution. Here’s what happens in YOUR situation.

Baton Rouge Man Convicted After Trial

Kevan Andre Hills, 32, of Baton Rouge was convicted by a federal jury in September 2025 of two counts of wire fraud and two counts of engaging in unlawful monetary transactions. Between March 2020 and May 2020, Hills submitted several fraudulent loan applications, including one under the PPP program in the name of “Bootstate Financial Group.” The lender approved the loan application and deposited PPP loan proceeds of $675,272 into a bank account owned and controlled by Hills. Days later, Hills used $75,500 of these PPP funds to purchase a Dodge Viper. He went to trial and was convicted – Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced him in August 2025. Trial convictions result in harsher sentences than guilty pleas. Hills likely faces 5-7 years in federal prison for wire fraud under 18 U.S.C. § 1343.

Tiera R. Lands, age 31, of Baton Rouge was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson to 48 months in federal prison in December 2023 following her convictions for wire fraud and money laundering in connection with false PPP and EIDL applications. The Court ordered Lands to pay $858,726.11 in restitution. Four years in federal prison for fraudulent pandemic loan applications. Devin Tyrone Stampley Jr., 33, and Asia Deshan Guess, 28, both of Baton Rouge, were also sentenced by Judge Jackson in August 2025 for submitting false and fraudulent PPP, EIDL, and unemployment benefits applications seeking at least $293,498 in funds.

How PPP Fraud Gets Detected

PPP fraud detection is algorithmic. Every PPP application was cross-referenced against IRS Form 941 quarterly payroll tax returns. You claimed 20 employees on your PPP application. Your 941s show 6 employees. Computer flagged you immediately. The SBA Office of Inspector General reviews flagged applications and refers suspected fraud to federal law enforcement. In Baton Rouge, FBI handles PPP investigations, often working with IRS Criminal Investigation when tax fraud is involved.

Bank Secrecy Act reports trigger investigations. When you used PPP funds for luxury purchases – a Dodge Viper like Hills, personal credit card payments, investments – your bank filed Suspicious Activity Reports. Those go directly to federal law enforcement. Hills’ $75,500 Viper purchase flagged his account. Loan forgiveness applications create second fraud exposure. When you applied for forgiveness, you certified PPP funds went to payroll, rent, utilities. Federal agents subpoena bank records and trace every dollar. If funds went to personal expenses or luxury purchases instead of permitted uses – that’s wire fraud when you certified the opposite on forgiveness applications.

Middle District Louisiana Sentencing

PPP fraud sentencing follows the federal guidelines based on loss amount. Under $100,000 with cooperation: 6-18 months. $100,000-$500,000: 2-4 years. $500,000-$1 million: 4-7 years. Over $1 million: 5-10 years with plea, 10-20+ years if convicted at trial. Hills went to trial with $675,272 in losses and luxury car purchase – likely faces 5-7 years. Lands received 4 years for wire fraud and money laundering with PPP/EIDL fraud totaling over $858,000.

Restitution is mandatory – you must repay the full PPP amount plus interest. This federal debt survives bankruptcy. Lands owes $858,726.11. Hills owes $675,272. Probation terms after prison: 3-5 years supervised release, cannot start/manage a business without permission, continuous financial monitoring. The critical decision: plea deal versus trial. Federal PPP fraud cases have 97%+ conviction rates at trial. Documentary evidence – your application, your IRS records, your bank statements – makes conviction nearly certain. The “trial penalty” means if you’re convicted at trial, you face statutory maximums instead of reduced plea sentences. Hills went to trial and faces significantly more prison time than if he had pled guilty.

Timeline: From initial SBA contact to indictment typically runs 6-18 months. Middle District of Louisiana prosecutors build overwhelming cases before filing charges. By the time you’re indicted, they have everything – bank records, IRS filings, witness statements. The mistake Baton Rouge business owners make: responding to initial SBA audits without legal counsel. They think explaining will resolve it. Instead, statements like “I may have used some PPP funds for personal expenses” become admissions of fraud. By the time they hire an attorney, they’ve confessed.

At Spodek Law Group – Todd Spodek has defended federal fraud cases in Louisiana for many, many, years. If the SBA contacted you about your PPP loan – if federal agents asked to interview you – time matters. Middle District hands down serious prison sentences. Call 212-300-5196.

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