Hillsborough County PPP Loan Fraud Lawyers
You got a PPP loan during the pandemic. Maybe 2020, maybe 2021. The application was confusing, the rules kept changing, and everyone was just trying to keep their business alive. You filled out the forms, got approved, used the money. Years passed. You assumed it was over.
Its not over.
The federal government turned PPP fraud prosecution into an assembly line - and Hillsborough County is directly in the crosshairs. The Middle District of Florida has a dedicated COVID-19 Fraud Task Force based right here in Tampa. Theyve already charged 109 defendants seeking more than $96 million in fraud. Congress extended the statute of limitations to 10 years. That 2020 loan you thought was forgotten? Its prosecutable until 2030. And if you filed for forgiveness in 2022, the clock may run until 2032.
Welcome to Spodek Law Group. We handle federal PPP loan fraud defense in Hillsborough County and throughout the Middle District of Florida. If youre under investigation, if the SBA Office of Inspector General has contacted you, or if federal agents have shown up at your door - this article explains exactly what youre facing and what options still exist.
The 10-Year Clock Is Ticking
In August 2022, Congress passed the PPP and Bank Fraud Enforcement Harmonization Act. Most people missed what it actualy did.
It extended the statute of limitations from 5 years to 10 years - retroactively.
That means a PPP loan from 2020 is prosecutable until 2030. A loan from 2021 until 2031. The government gave itself a full decade to come for you. And there using it. As of December 2024, the Department of Justice continues to investigate PPP fraud as a top enforcement priority.
But heres the part that catches people off guard. If you filed for forgiveness in 2022, that was another statement to the government. Another opportunity for false claims. And it reset your clock.
Your 2020 loan might be prosecutable until 2032 - not 2030.
The charge stacking is where it gets worse. One PPP application can trigger multiple federal charges: wire fraud under 18 U.S.C. Section 1343 carries 20-30 years. Bank fraud under Section 1344 carries 30 years. False statements to the SBA under Section 1014 carries another 30. Money laundering. Aggravated identity theft adds a mandatory 2 years consecutive. One application, theoretical exposure exceeding 100 years. In practice sentences dont reach that level. But prosecutors use that exposure as leverage in plea negotiations. And the leverage is substancial.
Hillsborough County Is Ground Zero
The Middle District of Florida covers Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, and Fort Myers. The COVID-19 Fraud Task Force operates out of Tampa. Hillsborough County residents face prosecution in one of the most aggressive federal districts in the country for pandemic fraud.
Since March 2020, the Task Force has achieved these results:
- 109 defendants charged with COVID-19 fraud schemes
- $96 million in fraud attempts across those cases
- 74 defendants already found guilty
- $20 million forfeited through the Asset Recovery Division
- Another $18 million seized and pending forfeiture
The agencies involved include FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Secret Service, SBA Office of Inspector General - and the Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office. Local law enforcement feeds federal prosecutions. When local deputies flag something suspicious, it flows upward to the federal Task Force. Your not avoiding one agency. Your avoiding all of them.
Recent Tampa/Hillsborough cases:
Barrett Purvis (Tampa, August 2024): Sentenced to 33 months in federal prison plus three years supervised release. He got a $500,000 EIDL loan and spent half on gambling debt. $499,900 restitution ordered. Found guilty after trial - he didnt take a plea.
Alexander Leszczynski (North Redington Beach, 2024): 17 years and 6 months in federal prison. Not months. Years. He was 24 years old. Three fraud schemes totaling more then $10 million, including a fraudulent PPP loan. Thats whats happening in the Tampa Division right now.
Sherell Breus and 10 others (Tampa, December 2025): Indicted for a $2.2 million PPP and EIDL conspiracy. False tax returns. Fake employees. Fabricated payrolls. Businesses that barely existed claiming transportation and healthcare services. Each defendant faces 20 years per count. The government is seeking forfeiture of $2,294,734.50. Five years after the pandemic started, their still finding new people to indict.
And the sentences are getting harsher. Defendants sentenced in 2024-2025 are recieving sentences aproximately 40% longer than defendants who committed identical conduct but were sentenced in 2021-2022. Early pandemic leniency from federal judges? Completley over.
The Window That Determines Everything
Most people dont understand this part. And its the most important thing in this entire article.
Theres a window - typically six to twelve months - between when the SBA OIG flags a loan and when the case gets referred to the FBI for criminal investigation. During this window, there is leverage that completley disappears once criminal charges are filed.
During the OIG review stage, a federal defense attorney may be able to negotiate a civil disposition. Repayment plus a penalty. A False Claims Act settlement. Not pleasant, but not a federal felony conviction either.
Victory Automotive Group paid $9 million to settle PPP forgiveness fraud allegations. Civil resolution. No criminal charges.
Physician Partners of America paid a $1.3 million penalty for improperly applying for a PPP loan while engaged in Medicare overbilling. Civil resolution. No prison.
But heres the trap most people fall into. Once the FBI has your case - once its been referred for criminal investigation - that civil option disappears. The window closes.
Your looking at federal prosecution, not negotiated settlement.
The difference between civil resolution and federal prison? Timing. And most people dont know this window exists until its to late.
Some people, panicking, decide to voluntarily repay the loan thinking it makes the problem disappear. The DOJ has stated that voluntary repayment can be used as evidence of consciousness of guilt. Returning the money doesnt make it go away. It can actualy strengthen the governments case.
This is complicated. The timing matters enormously. Whether to repay, when to engage, how to structure any resolution - these decisions require counsel who understands how federal prosecutors in the Middle District of Florida actually operate.
What To Do Right Now
The single most important rule:
Never agree to discuss a potential PPP fraud case with a federal agent without a lawyer present.
This sounds obvious. But there have been several recent cases where people who decided to talk to investigators without counsel ended up being charged with obstruction or making false statements to federal agents - in addition to the underlying PPP fraud. The agents seem friendly. Cooperative. Their not on your side.
If your under investigation or concerned you might be:
- Dont destroy any documents. Document destruction can become a separate charge.
- Dont discuss the matter with others who may be involved. Those conversations can be used against you.
- Dont make voluntary payments to the SBA without counsel. This can be used as consciousness of guilt.
- Contact a federal defense attorney immediately. The earlier you act, the more options exist.
Todd Spodek has handled PPP fraud cases in federal court. He understands the difference between OIG-stage investigations where civil resolution may be possible, and FBI-stage investigations where criminal defense is the priority.
If your in Hillsborough County - or anywhere in the Tampa Bay area - and your facing a PPP loan fraud investigation, Spodek Law Group can help you understand where you stand and what options exist.
The consultation is free. Theres no obligation.
What youll get is an honest assessment. Is this still at the OIG stage where civil resolution might be possible? Has it been referred to the FBI? What does the evidence look like? What are realistic outcomes based on how these cases are playing out in the Middle District of Florida?
Call us at 212-300-5196. The statute of limitations runs until 2030, 2031, or even 2032 depending on when you got the loan and when you filed for forgiveness. The government has time. But once they move, things happen fast. The earlier you have counsel, the more leverage exists.
The Task Force is still operating. December 2025 brought 11 new indictments. They havent stopped.
Were here when you need us.
