Daniel P. Bubar Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina | U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina
A Wake Forest resident has been sentenced to six months in prison and one year of home confinement for her role in defrauding the U.S. government out of Covid-19 relief funds. Sonya Lenise Davis, 57, was found guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, according to an announcement on April 22, 2025.
Davis was involved in falsifying applications for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, meant to aid small businesses during the pandemic. She submitted an application with false information regarding her business, Sonya’s Braiding, exaggerating employee numbers and income. Davis also assisted others in acquiring fake documents to support fraudulent loan applications, including using counterfeit IRS forms and forged bank statements. This fraudulent activity resulted in Davis and her accomplices illegally obtaining over $85,000.
Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Daniel P. Bubar, announced the sentencing, which was delivered by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), with prosecution led by Assistant U.S. Attorney William Gilmore and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Labresh.
Further details on the case can be accessed through the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or PACER, under Case No. 5:23-CR-00299.
