A New Hampshire man has been sentenced to two years in prison for his involvement in a pandemic-related fraud conspiracy. Tyree Jones, 33, from Plymouth, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Lance Walker in Portland, Maine. Following his prison term, Jones will be subject to two years of supervised release and is required to pay $359,274 in restitution to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). He had pleaded guilty on January 8, 2025.
Court records reveal that between 2020 and 2021, Jones conspired with others to exploit the COVID-19 pandemic by submitting fraudulent applications for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) funds. Through these applications, he claimed to own non-existent businesses in the agricultural and trucking sectors and obtained $51,666.
Jones also offered assistance to others seeking PPP and EIDL funds in exchange for "kickbacks" from any funds they received. Together with co-conspirators, he facilitated fraudulent applications for at least 12 other individuals using falsified IRS and bank documents.
The case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation.
The Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act was enacted on March 29, 2020, providing emergency financial assistance due to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Act made EIDL funding available through the SBA for business owners affected by the pandemic. These loans were intended for fixed debts and other expenses impacted by COVID-19.
The Paycheck Protection Program was a relief initiative under the CARES Act that provided forgivable loans through third-party lenders to small businesses for job retention and certain expenses during the pandemic.
