Tarrant County PPP Loan Fraud Lawyers
You got a PPP loan in 2020. Maybe 2021. Everyone did - the government was practically throwing money at businesses during the pandemic. You filled out the application, got approved, used the funds, maybe even got forgiveness. Years passed. You moved on. You assumed the government had moved on too.
It hasn't.
The federal government turned PPP loan fraud prosecution into an assembly line - and Tarrant County is directly in the crosshairs. The Northern District of Texas Fort Worth Division has jurisdiction over your case, and they're handing out sentences that would shock most people. A Mansfield woman just got 86 months. Congress extended the statute of limitations to 10 years. That 2020 loan you thought was forgotten? It's prosecutable until 2030. Fort Worth federal prosecutors have publicly stated they're playing the "long game."
Welcome to Spodek Law Group. We handle federal PPP loan fraud defense in Tarrant County and throughout the Northern District of Texas. If you're under investigation, if you've received a letter from the SBA Office of Inspector General, or if federal agents have contacted you - this article explains exactly what you're facing and what options still exist.
The Federal Government Is Still Coming for 2020 PPP Loans
In August 2022, President Biden signed 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. Fort Worth federal prosecutors have publicly stated they're playing the "long game" on pandemic fraud enforcement through 2030. Thats not speculation - thats there stated strategy.
Every PPP loan ever issued is now subject to prosecution for a full decade from the date of the offense.
According to Pandemic Oversight, as of December 2024: 3,096 defendants have been charged with pandemic relief fraud. 2,532 found guilty - thats 82%. Of those convicted, 1,741 received prison time. Thats 81%. The median investigation time from referral to indictment has decreased by 45% compared to two years ago. What used to take 8-12 months now takes 4-6 months. The COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force coordinates across FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, SBA OIG, and other agencies. They have dedicated strike forces for this.
What NDTX Fort Worth Is Actually Handing Out
The Northern District of Texas Fort Worth Division covers Tarrant County. Federal cases from Fort Worth, Arlington, Mansfield, DeSoto - they all come through here. Judge Mark Pittman presides over many PPP fraud cases. The sentences coming out of this courthouse should concern anyone who got a PPP loan with questionable information.
Tamara Starks of Mansfield - just outside Tarrant County - was sentenced in January 2025.
86 months in federal prison.
Thats over 7 years. She cooperated. She pleaded guilty in September 2024. She still got 7 years. She and her co-conspirators had submitted more than 100 fraudulent PPP applications totaling $8.5 million. They recieved $4.5 million before being caught. Judge Pittman also ordered her to pay $4,476,523.73 in restitution. Source: DOJ NDTX.
Shantelle Hawkins of DeSoto - sentenced in June 2025. 41 months federal prison. She submitted 17 fraudulent PPP applications. At sentencing, she was ordered to pay more then $1.8 million in restitution and to forfeit the house she purchased with the fraud proceeds.
Seven members of the Jackson family in the Dallas area pleaded guilty in June 2025. Each faces up to 5 years. According to plea documents, there PPP applications falsely claimed each family member was a sole proprietor with monthly payroll of aproximately $8,000. They provided fake tax documents for businesses that didnt exist.
But what about smaller amounts? Does the government realy go after someone who got a $50,000 loan with some questionable numbers?
Yes.
A Cincinnati defendant got 18 months in federal prison for $21,000 in PPP fraud. March 2025. The amount dosent protect you. Federal judges in 2025 are including prison time in nearly every PPP fraud sentencing regardless of the amount involved. The deterrence message matters more then the dollar figure.
One PPP application can trigger multiple federal charges:
- Wire Fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1343) - 20-30 years
- Bank Fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1344) - 30 years
- False Statements to SBA (18 U.S.C. § 1014) - 30 years
- Money Laundering (18 U.S.C. § 1956) - 20 years
- Aggravated Identity Theft (18 U.S.C. § 1028A) - mandatory +2 years consecutive
Theoretical exposure exceeding 100 years from a single application. In practice, sentences don't reach that level - but charge stacking gives prosecutors enormous leverage in plea negotiations.
The Window Most People Don't Know Exists
Heres something most people dont understand about PPP investigations.
There's 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 completely disappears once criminal charges are filed.
During the OIG review stage, a skilled defense attorney may be able to negotiate a civil disposition. Repayment plus a fine. Maybe a False Claims Act settlement. Not pleasant, but not a federal felony conviction either. Civil resolution means you keep your freedom. You keep your right to vote. You keep your ability to work in regulated industries.
But heres the trap most people fall into.
Some people, panicking, decide to voluntarily repay the loan thinking it will make the problem go away. The DOJ has explicitly stated that voluntary repayment can be used as evidence of consciousness of guilt. Returning the money dosent make it go away - it can actualy strengthen the governments case against you.
And talking to investigators without counsel?
There have been several recent cases were people who decided to talk to investigators without a lawyer 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. There not on your side.
This is complicated. The timing matters enormously. Whether to repay, when to repay, how to structure any resolution - these decisions require counsel who understands how federal prosecutors think.
When You Need Help
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 your instinct when contacted by law enforcement is probably to explain, to cooperate, to make them understand. That instinct is exactly wrong in this situation.
If you're under investigation or concerned you might be:
- Don't destroy any documents. Document destruction can become a separate charge.
- Don't discuss the matter with others who may be involved. Those conversations can be used against you.
- Don't 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 the Northern District of Texas. 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 you're in Tarrant County - or anywhere in the Northern District of Texas - and you're facing a PPP loan fraud investigation, Spodek Law Group can help you understand where you stand and what options exist.
The consultation is free. There's no obligation.
What you'll 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 - not best-case fantasies, but actual possibilities based on how these cases play out in NDTX Fort Worth?
Call us at 212-300-5196. The statute of limitations runs until 2030 or 2031 depending on when you got the loan. The government has time. But once they move, things happen fast. The earlier you have counsel, the more leverage exists.
Don't wait until federal agents show up at your door.
Were here when you need us.
