William S. Thompson U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia
Wendy Ann Thomas, a 47-year-old resident of Charleston, West Virginia, has entered a guilty plea for her involvement in aiding and abetting money laundering. The case involves the illegal handling of funds derived from a Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) loan guaranteed by the Small Business Administration under the CARES Act.
Court documents reveal that on June 22, 2021, $20,833 was deposited into Thomas's personal checking account. She acknowledged allowing another individual to channel these PPP loan proceeds into her account while being aware that they were obtained through criminal means. Furthermore, she admitted to withdrawing $17,000 from her account on June 23, 2021, fully knowing it represented the majority of the illicit funds.
Thomas is set to be sentenced on June 12, 2025. She faces up to ten years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Additionally, she is required to pay restitution amounting to $20,833.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston who praised the investigative efforts of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office.
The hearing was overseen by United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston with Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuting the case.
Authorities urge individuals with information regarding COVID-19-related fraud allegations to report them via the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline or through their online complaint form.
Further details about this case can be accessed through related court documents available on PACER under Case No. 2:24-cr-172.
