U.S. Attorney Kenneth Polite announced that TRACY C. HARTMAN, 49, of Slidell, was charged today in a Bill of Information with one count of making false statements.
According to the Bill of Information, on or about January 4, 2006, HARTMAN and her husband were approved for a Small Business Administration (“SBA") disaster loan in the amount of $182,700.
TRACY HARTMAN and her husband defaulted on the SBA disaster loan. As a result of the loan default, in or about June 2010, the SBA began garnishment proceedings for Mr. Hartman’s payroll checks from St. Bernard Parish. In or about December 2011, the SBA stopped receiving the HARTMAN’s garnishment payments from St. Bernard Parish. A letter, purporting to be from the SBA, was received by St. Bernard Parish claiming the debt had been paid and to stop the garnishment. The letter was a forgery and was not prepared by the SBA. On or about April 20, 2012, TRACY HARTMAN made a false statement to federal authorities that she did not know the origin of the fraudulent letter which was hand delivered to the St. Bernard Parish government by her husband on or about Nov. 29, 2011. After further investigation, it was determined that TRACY HARTMAN composed the letter.
If convicted, HARTMAN faces a possible maximum sentence of five years imprisonment, and/or a fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Polite reiterated that a Bill of Information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Polite praised the work of the Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Carter K. D. Guice, Jr. of the Fraud Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
