Tonya R. Winston, a 60-year-old resident of South Bend, Indiana, has been sentenced to 52 months in federal prison following her conviction on charges related to wire fraud and theft of government money. The sentencing was handed down by United States District Court Judge Cristal C. Brisco.
Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor announced the sentence after Winston was found guilty by a jury in August of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud, and one count of theft of government money.
Winston will also serve two years of supervised release after her prison term and must pay $453,808.48 in restitution.
Court documents indicate that Winston orchestrated a scheme to obtain loans under false pretenses through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which was established as part of COVID-19 relief efforts for small businesses. She submitted fraudulent loan applications for herself and assisted others in doing the same. Additionally, she acquired local housing benefits by misrepresenting her financial situation.
The investigation into Winston’s activities was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-Office of Inspector General, and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation division. Assistant United States Attorneys Luke N. Reilander and Joel Gabrielse prosecuted the case.
