U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber | U.S. Department of Justice
Two active-duty U.S. Army soldiers have pled guilty, and a third has been charged with obtaining fraudulent loans through a COVID-19 relief program while stationed at Fort Gregg-Adams in Virginia.
Major Eduwell Jenkins, 42, admitted to defrauding the Small Business Administration (SBA) by securing a fraudulent loan via the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Sergeant Malaysia Stubbs, 30, also pled guilty to obtaining a similar fraudulent PPP loan. Meanwhile, Sergeant First Class Crispin Antonio Abad, 42, faces an eight-count indictment for allegedly acquiring two fraudulent PPP loans during his active duty.
Court documents reveal that Jenkins and Stubbs applied for these loans in 2021 by falsely claiming they had separate jobs from their military duties generating over $100,000 annually. They fabricated Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax return forms as evidence for their applications but did not file these forms with the IRS. Each received over $20,000 in government-backed loans they were not entitled to.
The indictment against Abad alleges he applied for two PPP loans in April 2021 under false pretenses while enforcing the Army’s Honor Code and Standards of Conduct. He claimed income from a business named “Granny’s Delight,” purportedly selling pies made by his grandmother. Like Jenkins and Stubbs, Abad allegedly submitted falsified IRS tax returns to support his claims but did not file them with the IRS. He reportedly received over $41,000 in loans and used the funds on luxury items and recreational activities.
Jenkins is set for sentencing on March 25, 2025, while Stubbs will be sentenced on March 20, 2025. Both face up to five years in prison. If convicted, Abad could face up to 20 years behind bars. Sentences are determined by a federal district court judge based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
Jessica D. Aber from the Eastern District of Virginia's U.S. Attorney's Office announced these developments alongside Keith K. Kelly of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Fraud Field Office and Christopher Dillard from the Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s Mid-Atlantic Field Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Avi Panth is handling prosecution duties.
Additional information can be found on websites of both the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and PACER under Case Nos: 3:24-cr-139 (Jenkins), 3:24-cr-159 (Stubbs), and 3:24-cr-178 (Abad).
An indictment remains an accusation until proven otherwise; defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
