Jeannetta Blackmon, also known as Jeannetta Regan, has been sentenced to 30 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release for her involvement in a fraudulent scheme. The Charlotte resident was found guilty of obtaining over $1.5 million through deceptive Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) applications. Lawrence J. Cameron, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, announced the sentence and stated that Blackmon must also pay $1,549,737 in restitution.
Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina, joined Acting U.S. Attorney Cameron in making the announcement.
“Blackmon defrauded loan programs put in place to support businesses fighting to survive during the COVID-19 pandemic," said Acting U.S. Attorney Cameron. "Her scheme was not a lapse in judgment but a pervasive and deceitful course of conduct."
DeWitt added, “Not only did Blackmon prepare fraudulent loan applications for herself, she also charged others to fake their applications as well.”
Court records indicate that from April 2020 to November 2021, Blackmon orchestrated a plan to deceive the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and SBA-backed lenders by securing fraudulent COVID-19 relief funds for her enterprises: J Renee Enterprises, Jeannetta Renee Girls Talk, and Jrenee Investments. She provided false information regarding income and employee numbers while fabricating bank statements.
Additionally, Blackmon received over $300,000 from clients who paid her to file similar false PPP and EIDL applications on their behalf. These actions resulted in more than $1.2 million being disbursed fraudulently.
Blackmon pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering on July 25, 2023. She remains free on bond until reporting to a designated federal facility.
The FBI conducted the investigation with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caryn Finley and Benjamin Bain-Creed prosecuting the case.
The public is encouraged to report any information related to attempted COVID-19 fraud by contacting the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866‑720‑5721 or via their online complaint form.
