A resident of Pelham, Georgia, was convicted this week for his role in a wire fraud scheme related to pandemic relief funds. Tyreek Brown, 28, was found guilty of one count of wire fraud after a two-day trial that began on August 11. He faces up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine. The court will set his sentencing date.
Brown’s co-defendants—Sherronica Jackson, 38, and Alan Brown, 52—both from Pelham, previously pleaded guilty to bank fraud charges. They each face the same maximum sentence as Tyreek Brown and are scheduled for sentencing on November 12.
Chief U.S. District Judge Leslie Abrams Gardner is overseeing the proceedings. In federal cases such as this one, parole is not available.
“Our office will pursue justice for these types of criminal schemes that deliberately defraud taxpayers,” stated U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “I thank our law enforcement and prosecutorial team for holding those responsible accountable.”
Court documents show that Sheronica Jackson obtained a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan in March 2021 by falsely claiming a gross income of $97,000 for 2019 without providing any business name or category on her application. She received a $20,207 loan under the CARES Act program designed to support small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jackson then helped Alan Brown and Tyreek Brown apply for fraudulent PPP loans using similar false information about their income and businesses. Alan Brown claimed he had earned $101,005 from a non-existent contracting business; he received loans totaling $20,833 in April and May 2021 despite lacking any professional licenses or affiliations.
Tyreek Brown also applied for two loans through Harvest Small Business Finance, LLC., listing the same address used by his family members as his business location even though no actual business existed. He claimed an unearned gross income of $103,400 for 2019 and received loans totaling $20,833 in April and May 2021.
After receiving the funds, Tyreek Brown transferred $3,000 via Cash App and Zelle from an account he shared with Alan Brown to Jackson.
The Department of Justice Office of Inspector General investigated this case as part of its Pandemic Response Accountability Committee Taskforce.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Veronica Hansis is handling prosecution duties for the government.
