A Hammond resident, Darrell Harland, age 43, has been charged with making false statements and theft of government funds in connection with the CARES Act, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson. The bill of information was filed on October 15, 2025.
The CARES Act, signed into law on March 27, 2020, provided emergency financial support to small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic through programs such as the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which was administered by the United States Small Business Administration (SBA).
Charging documents state that Harland submitted false information to an approved lender on April 19, 2021, seeking a PPP loan of approximately $20,833 for his business. He is also accused of obtaining an Economic Injury Disaster Loan from the SBA in the amount of $127,200 on April 8, 2020, based on inaccurate declarations regarding employee numbers and gross revenues.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson stated: "A bill of information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt." If convicted, Harland could face up to five years in prison for making false statements and up to ten years for money laundering. Each count carries potential fines up to $250,000, supervised release for up to three years, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
For further details about how the Department of Justice is addressing pandemic-related fraud and relief efforts, visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Individuals with knowledge about attempted COVID-19 fraud can contact authorities via the National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or submit information online at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Simpson commended the United States Secret Service for its role in investigating this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Rivera from the Financial Crimes Unit is leading the prosecution.
