Dallas EIDL Loan Fraud Lawyers

Dallas EIDL Loan Fraud Lawyers

The SBA Office of Inspector General sent you a letter about your EIDL loan. Or federal agents contacted you in Dallas asking about your Economic Injury Disaster Loan application. You’re in Texas. Annette Bryant, of Waxahachie, was charged in November 2022 by the Northern District of Texas with fraudulently obtaining $359,500 in EIDL funds and $848,586 in PPP loans across ten separate loan applications. Tamara Starks, of Mansfield, was sentenced in January 2025 to 86 months (7+ years) in federal prison for orchestrating an $8.5 million PPP fraud scheme. Shantelle Hawkins, of DeSoto, was sentenced in June 2025 to 41 months in prison and ordered to forfeit property purchased with fraud proceeds after submitting 17 fraudulent PPP applications. The Northern District of Texas is actively prosecuting EIDL and PPP fraud cases in 2025.

Thanks for visiting Spodek Law Group – a second-generation law firm managed by Todd Spodek. We’ve defended federal EIDL fraud cases in Texas for many, many, years. We know how Northern District prosecutors charge Economic Injury Disaster Loan fraud and what sentences you’re facing.

The federal government approved EIDL loans in 2020 with minimal verification. Now in 2025, they’re prosecuting Dallas-area business owners for multiple fraudulent applications and property purchased with EIDL funds. Here’s what happens in YOUR situation.

Annette Bryant – $1.2 Million EIDL and PPP Fraud

Annette Bryant, of Waxahachie, Texas, was charged in November 2022 with fraudulently obtaining four EIDL loans totaling $359,500 and six PPP loans totaling $848,586, Bryant submitted ten separate fraudulent loan applications across both the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program and the Paycheck Protection Program to obtain a combined $1.2 million in pandemic relief funds, the indictment alleges Bryant falsely reported employee numbers, payroll expenses, and gross revenues on multiple applications submitted to the SBA and participating lenders, by submitting applications to both EIDL and PPP programs Bryant multiplied her fraud exposure because each fraudulent application constitutes a separate count of wire fraud, wire fraud under 18 U.S.C. § 1343 is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison per count, false statements to the SBA under 18 U.S.C. § 1014 carry up to 30 years in federal prison and a $1 million fine, defendants who submit multiple fraudulent applications face dramatically higher guideline ranges because each application adds another count to the indictment, the Northern District of Texas charged Bryant with fraud across ten separate loan applications demonstrating the pattern of defendants who obtain both EIDL and PPP funds through repeated false applications.

Bryant’s case demonstrates how defendants combine EIDL and PPP applications to maximize fraud. Four EIDL loans ($359,500) plus six PPP loans ($848,586) equals ten separate federal wire fraud counts. Each count carries up to 20 years. When defendants submit applications to both programs, federal prosecutors charge them with conspiracy to commit wire fraud plus individual wire fraud counts for each application. The sentencing guidelines calculate fraud amount ($1.2 million) and number of victims (SBA plus participating lenders) to determine guideline range.

Tamara Starks – 86 Months for $8.5 Million PPP Scheme

Tamara Starks, of Mansfield, Texas, pleaded guilty in September 2024 to wire fraud and was sentenced in January 2025 to 86 months (7+ years) in federal prison. Starks and others submitted more than 100 PPP loan applications totaling approximately $8.5 million and received $4.5 million in PPP loan funds. U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman ordered Starks to pay $4,476,523.73 in restitution. Starks orchestrated a large-scale scheme involving more than 100 fraudulent applications submitted between 2020 and 2021.

Starks’s January 2025 sentencing demonstrates current enforcement in the Northern District of Texas. The 86-month sentence reflects the $8.5 million fraud amount and the number of applications (100+). Federal sentencing guidelines base calculations on intended loss (what defendant attempted to obtain) not just actual loss (what defendant received). Starks attempted to obtain $8.5 million even though she received $4.5 million – guidelines calculated based on $8.5 million. The restitution order ($4.5 million) matches the amount actually received.

Shantelle Hawkins – Property Forfeiture After 17 Fraudulent Applications

Shantelle Hawkins, of DeSoto, Texas, was sentenced in June 2025 to three years and five months (41 months) in federal prison for participating in a scheme to file fraudulent PPP loan applications. Hawkins pleaded guilty in October 2024 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. From May 2020 to March 2021, Hawkins submitted 17 fraudulent PPP loan applications. At sentencing, she was ordered to pay more than $1.8 million in restitution and forfeit property purchased with fraud proceeds.

Property forfeiture is mandatory when defendants purchase assets with fraudulent EIDL or PPP funds. Hawkins bought property with fraud proceeds – federal prosecutors filed civil forfeiture actions to seize the property. The court ordered forfeiture as part of the criminal sentence. If you bought a house, car, boat, or other assets with EIDL funds that were fraudulently obtained, the government will seize those assets through criminal forfeiture or civil asset forfeiture proceedings. Property forfeiture is separate from restitution – Hawkins must pay $1.8 million in restitution AND forfeit property.

How Northern District Prosecutes EIDL Fraud

Multiple applications multiply criminal exposure. Bryant: 10 applications (4 EIDL + 6 PPP) = 10 wire fraud counts. Hawkins: 17 PPP applications = 17 potential counts. Starks: 100+ PPP applications = 100+ potential counts. Each fraudulent application is a separate count of wire fraud carrying up to 20 years. Defendants who submit multiple EIDL applications face dramatically higher sentences because sentencing guidelines add points for each additional count.

Family conspiracies are common. Seven Dallas-area family members pleaded guilty in June 2025 to PPP fraud conspiracy: Lori Jackson (63), Saidrick Jackson (61), Saidrick Jackson II (36), Saundria Jackson (36), D’Andria Todd (46), Bianca Williams (33), and Valencia Williams (53). Each defendant faces up to five years in federal prison. When family members coordinate to submit fraudulent EIDL or PPP applications, federal prosecutors charge conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Conspiracy carries the same 20-year maximum as wire fraud itself. The first family member to cooperate receives sentence reductions.

The SBA Office of Inspector General cross-checks EIDL applications against IRS tax returns. If your EIDL application claimed $500,000 in annual revenue but your IRS Schedule C shows $100,000, automatic fraud flag. If your EIDL application listed 25 employees but your IRS Form 941 quarterly payroll tax returns show 5 employees, federal agents investigate. Bryant’s ten applications were cross-referenced against IRS filings – discrepancies triggered the November 2022 indictment.

Property purchased with EIDL funds gets forfeited. Hawkins forfeited property purchased with PPP proceeds. If you bought a house, vehicle, or other assets with fraudulently obtained EIDL funds, the government files forfeiture actions. Criminal forfeiture occurs as part of the criminal sentence. Civil asset forfeiture is a separate lawsuit against the property itself. Federal prosecutors use both to seize assets purchased with fraud proceeds.

Sentencing ranges in Northern District of Texas 2024-2025. Hawkins (June 2025): 41 months for 17 applications + property forfeiture. Starks (January 2025): 86 months for $8.5M scheme + $4.5M restitution. Seven Jackson family members (June 2025): Awaiting sentencing, each faces up to 5 years. Bryant: Awaiting sentencing for $1.2M across 10 applications. The range demonstrates fraud amount and number of applications determine sentence length.

The mistake Dallas business owners make: responding to initial SBA Office of Inspector General audit letters without legal counsel. They think explaining discrepancies will resolve the issue. Instead, statements like “I may have overstated my business revenue on the EIDL application” become admissions of wire fraud under 18 U.S.C. § 1343. “I didn’t realize EIDL required exact figures from my tax returns” is a confession, not a defense. By the time they hire a federal criminal defense attorney, they’ve already confessed to wire fraud.

Cooperation value matters in multi-defendant cases. Seven Jackson family members pleaded guilty in June 2025. The first to cooperate against co-conspirators receives substantial sentence reductions under U.S. Sentencing Guidelines § 5K1.1. If you coordinated EIDL applications with business partners or family members, early cooperation results in dramatically shorter sentences. The Northern District of Texas offers cooperation agreements to defendants who provide substantial assistance against other targets.

At Spodek Law Group – Todd Spodek has defended federal EIDL fraud cases in Texas for many, many, years. If the SBA Office of Inspector General sent you a letter – if federal agents asked to interview you about your Economic Injury Disaster Loan – time matters. Northern District of Texas has active 2025 prosecutions. Starks sentenced January 2025. Hawkins sentenced June 2025. Seven Jackson family members pleaded guilty June 2025. Call 212-300-5196.