A Great Falls resident, Raymond Marcellous Blair, was found guilty of wire fraud and money laundering after a one-day bench trial, according to U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme. The verdict was delivered by Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris.
Blair, 45, was convicted of one count of wire fraud and two counts of money laundering related to fraudulent use of COVID-19 relief funds. Each money laundering charge carries a maximum sentence of ten years in prison, while the wire fraud conviction could result in up to 20 years behind bars. Blair also faces a potential $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 28, 2026. Blair remains free under certain conditions until that date. Judge Morris will determine the sentence after reviewing federal guidelines and statutory factors.
Court documents revealed that Blair applied for an Economic Injury and Disaster Loan (EIDL) from the Small Business Administration (SBA) in August 2020. He falsely stated on his application that his business generated $249,000 in gross revenue and that he had not been convicted of a felony or placed on probation within the past five years. In reality, Blair had previous convictions for aggravated assault in 2011 and failing to register as a violent offender in 2017, and he was on probation at the time he submitted the EIDL application.
Based on these misrepresentations, the SBA approved Blair’s loan request and transferred $99,900 to his bank account on September 1, 2020. He then made two transfers exceeding $10,000 each from that account and used most of the loan proceeds for personal expenses.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin D. Hargrove and investigated by the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General.
"The government alleged in court documents and at trial that Blair applied for COVID relief in the form of an Economic Injury and Disaster Loan (EIDL) from the Small Business Administration (SBA) in August 2020. Blair claimed in the loan application that his business has gross revenues of $249,000, which was false. He also falsely claimed he not been convicted of a felony or placed on probation within the last five years. In truth, Blair was convicted of aggravated assault in 2011 and of failing to register as a violent offender in 2017 and was on probation in 2020 when he applied for the EIDL loan."
"Relying on Blair’s representations, the SBA approved his EIDL loan application and wired $99,900 into his bank account on September 1, 2020. Blair twice transferred more than $10,000 out of that account and spent the majority of the loan proceeds on personal expenses."
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