Carl Delano Torjagbo, also known as Karl Lucius Delano, has been sentenced to nearly 15 years in federal prison for defrauding the government out of $13 million through a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan and fraudulent tax returns. He was also ordered to forfeit millions of dollars in cash and property obtained through these schemes.
“This defendant shamelessly defrauded the government out of $13 million in taxpayer money to fund his lavish lifestyle,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Through aggressive prosecution, my office will continue to ensure that anyone who abuses government relief programs and robs government coffers pays dearly for their crimes.”
“Carl Torjagbo’s fraudulent actions represent one of the largest single instances of PPP loan fraud,” said Peter Ellis, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “By fabricating a sham business and lying to steal millions, he blatantly exploited taxpayer dollars meant to help those in need. The FBI will relentlessly pursue criminals like Torjagbo who think they can profit at the public’s expense.”
“Torjagbo’s sentence sends a clear message to criminals that committing tax fraud and defrauding federal programs for personal gain ends with them being held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “IRS Criminal Investigation remains committed to protecting taxpayer dollars and ensuring that fraudsters face the full consequences of their actions.”
“This sentencing demonstrates the commitment of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) to investigate and bring to justice those who victimize the American taxpayer,” said Joel Weaver, TIGTA Special Agent-in-Charge. “Fraudulently applying for loans through a federal program meant to assist Americans in need will be met with aggressive investigation and prosecution. I want to thank our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney's Office for their commitment to this goal.”
Court documents showed that on February 13, 2021, Torjagbo submitted false individual tax returns using different social security numbers and dates of birth, claiming over $3 million in tax withholdings and reporting fake losses from Kremkov Industries—his supposed gold mining business in Ghana. This resulted in a U.S. Treasury check issued for more than $3.3 million.
On February 16, 2021, Torjagbo applied for a PPP loan totaling over $9.5 million by falsely certifying Kremkov Industries' operations status, employee count, and payroll expenses. He supported his application with fabricated documents listing celebrities and fictional characters as employees—including Keanu Reeves, Gene Hackman, Charlie Brown, Nancy Drew, John Snow, and Emilia Clarke—and received over $9.5 million as a result.
Torjagbo used these funds on personal debts, luxury items including cars such as a BMW M850xi and Lamborghini Aventador, real estate purchases including a Marietta mansion worth about $1.7 million, land acquisitions in Cartersville and Acworth valued at more than $241,000 combined.
A jury convicted him on July 25, 2025 of bank fraud (one count), wire fraud (two counts), and money laundering (seven counts). On January 27, 2026 U.S District Judge Michael L. Brown sentenced him to 14 years seven months imprisonment followed by five years supervised release; he must pay restitution exceeding $3.36 million plus forfeiture of assets gained from these crimes.
The case was investigated by several agencies: Federal Bureau of Investigation; Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation; U.S Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration; with assistance from Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General.
Assistant U.S Attorneys Kelly K Connors and Nicholas L Evert prosecuted the case.
The Department of Justice created the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force on May 17th 2021 to coordinate efforts against pandemic-related fraud among domestic/international actors by supporting investigations/prosecutions while assisting agencies tasked with relief program administration (more details at https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus).
Anyone aware of attempted COVID-19-related fraud may report it via phone or online form provided by DOJ National Center for Disaster Fraud.
The U.S Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia serves as principal federal law enforcement agency across north Georgia—including Atlanta suburbs—and manages criminal prosecutions/civil cases nationally/internationally while partnering with other agencies on issues like terrorism or drug trafficking.
