Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr., U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan | Department of Justice
Three residents of Macomb County have pleaded guilty to participating in a scheme to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) out of millions of dollars, according to an announcement by United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. The defendants—Rita Shaba, 39, of Macomb; Samer Kammo, 45, of Shelby Township; and Christina Anasi, 35, also of Shelby Township—admitted to conspiring to commit wire fraud and bank fraud.
Shaba and Kammo entered their guilty pleas before Judge Jonathan J.C. Grey. Anasi had previously pleaded guilty in connection with the case.
Court records show that the three submitted fraudulent PPP applications for several business entities. These applications included false payroll information and certifications claiming that loan funds would be used for legitimate business purposes. The group also provided fake payroll, health insurance, bank, and tax documents as part of their applications.
The fraudulent activities resulted in the defendants receiving over $3 million in PPP loan funds. Law enforcement has so far recovered more than $2.1 million from those funds.
The PPP was established by Congress to help businesses affected by economic disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
U.S. Attorney Gorgon said, “While the numbers fraudsters used to illicitly enrich themselves were fake, the prison time they’re facing is very real. My office is committed to holding accountable all those who chose to exploit a global pandemic to steal from hardworking taxpayers.”
Reuben Coleman, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office, stated: “Today’s guilty plea reaffirms that those who exploit government programs intended to assist the American people during a national crisis, will be held fully accountable under federal law. Rita Shaba stole from hardworking taxpaying citizens and struggling businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic, essentially eroding the trust placed in critical relief efforts designed by the U.S. Government. I want to thank our FBI Macomb County Resident Agency, and our law enforcement partners for their diligent work to ensure that bad actors face the full consequences of their criminal actions.”
Jared Murphey, ICE HSI Detroit acting Special Agent in Charge added: “This money was designed to support businesses and help them navigate the pandemic, instead these defendants used it to enrich themselves and deprive honest businesses of much needed assistance. By now the writing is on the wall that if you stole money during the pandemic, it’s only a matter of time before law enforcement is knocking at your door.”
Sentencing dates are set for early January 2026: Shaba on January 5th; Anasi on January 7th; Kammo on January 15th. Each defendant faces up to 30 years in prison.
The investigation was conducted by special agents from both the FBI and ICE HSI Detroit and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Yahkind.
