Ryan K. Buchanan, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia
Jerry Baptiste, the last of 20 individuals charged in a scheme to fraudulently obtain Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds during the COVID-19 pandemic, has been sentenced. Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr., emphasized the gravity of the crime, stating, "This defendant and his co-conspirators used an unprecedented global crisis to defraud the government and the American people."
The investigation into this fraudulent activity was extensive. Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta, remarked on its conclusion: "This sentencing wraps up an exhaustive investigation into a fraud scheme that stole emergency funds from businesses and individuals that desperately needed them during the Covid-19 pandemic." Demetrius Hardeman, Special Agent in Charge at IRS Criminal Investigation's Atlanta Field Office, noted that these sentencings serve as a warning: "The sentencings of the 20 defendants serves as a reminder to those who committed PPP fraud that investigations into their criminal acts have not ended."
Baptiste conspired with others to submit false PPP loan applications for Transportation Management Services Inc., falsely claiming it had 66 employees and an average monthly payroll of $332,167. This fraudulent application resulted in obtaining $830,417. Baptiste was sentenced by U.S. District Judge J.P. Boulee to six and a half years in prison followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution.
Other individuals involved received various sentences based on their roles in the scheme:
- Darrell Thomas was sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment.
- Andre Lee Gaines received five years’ probation.
- Kahlil Gibran Green was sentenced to 41 months’ imprisonment.
- Bern Benoit received 27 months’ imprisonment.
- Carla Jackson was sentenced to 36 months’ imprisonment.
- Ricky Dixon received 100 months’ imprisonment.
- Meghan Thomas was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment.
- Jesika Blakely received 36 months’ imprisonment.
- Amanda Christian was sentenced to 41 months' imprisonment.
- Dwan Ashong received 51 months' imprisonment.
Other defendants such as John Gaines, Charles Petty, Derek Parker, David Belgrave II, Charles Hill IV, Ryan Whittley, El Hadj Sall, Rick McDuffie, and Teldrin Foster also faced various sentences ranging from probation to over ten years' imprisonment.
The case involved cooperation between multiple agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samir Kaushal and Nathan Kitchens led the prosecution along with other officials from Georgia’s Northern District.
For more information about COVID-related fraud or reporting mechanisms for suspected fraud cases can be found through official Department of Justice channels.
