A federal jury in Orlando has found Shawn Michael Simmerer, 49, of Florida, and Seth Downes, 30, of Michigan, guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud related to a scheme targeting the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Simmerer was also convicted on four counts of submitting false claims to the IRS for fraudulent Employee Retention Credits and Sick and Family Leave Credits. Each wire fraud count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, while each false claim count could result in up to five years for Simmerer. Sentencing is scheduled for February 17, 2026.
The indictment against Simmerer and Downes was initially filed on February 28, 2024. A superseding indictment followed on January 29, 2025.
Evidence presented at trial showed that beginning in April 2020, both defendants engaged in a plan to secure PPP funds by submitting loan applications with false information about employees and payroll for several companies. Among these were two applications submitted for “Your 10 Life Foundation,” described as a leadership training company founded by Simmerer. The documents included fabricated payroll records and tax returns that either had not been filed or differed from those submitted to the IRS. Through these actions, they obtained more than $344,000 in PPP loans. The loans were later forgiven after additional applications containing false information were submitted.
Simmerer also prepared tax returns claiming hundreds of thousands of dollars in COVID-related tax credits on behalf of Your 10 Life Foundation. These credits included Employee Retention Credits and Sick and Family Leave Credits that evidence revealed were fraudulent. As a result of these claims, Simmerer received over $680,000 in refunds from the IRS.
“These defendants didn’t just cheat the system—they stole from the American people,” said Ron Loecker, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation, Florida Field Office. “Their scheme was built on lies, but thanks to the relentless work of IRS Criminal Investigation and our law enforcement partners justice caught up with them. We will continue to follow the money and hold fraudsters accountable—no matter how complex the scheme.”
“These two individuals engineered a multi-pronged fraud scheme that included exploiting the Paycheck Protection Program to steal valuable funds meant for small businesses that depended on them,” said Caroline O’Brien-Buster, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Orlando Field Office. “The U.S. Secret Service and our partners remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring fraudsters like Mr. Simmerer and Mr. Downes are held accountable for their crimes.”
The investigation was conducted by Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation along with the United States Secret Service. Assistant United States Attorneys Robert D. Sowell and Noah P. Dorman are prosecuting this case.
