A Chicago Police sergeant was charged in federal court on May 5 with fraudulently obtaining more than $41,000 in small business loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois announced that this prosecution is part of ongoing efforts to address criminal fraud related to federal government entitlement and benefit programs.
The case matters because it highlights continued enforcement against fraudulent claims made during the pandemic relief efforts. Prosecutors say that such actions undermine public trust and divert resources from those who need them most.
According to a criminal information filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago, Brandi Wright engaged in fraud related to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a relief measure under the CARES Act. The filing alleges that Wright submitted two PPP loan applications in 2021 on behalf of a bakery business she claimed to own but did not actually exist. The applications reportedly contained false statements about gross revenue, payroll needs, and operational expenses.
Prosecutors allege Wright obtained two loans totaling $41,662 for her personal benefit. Wright is identified as a 44-year-old Chicago Police sergeant residing in Chicago. She has been charged with wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted. Arraignment has not yet been scheduled.
U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros announced the charge along with Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI’s Chicago Field Office, and Adam Jobes, Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard M. Rothblatt and Sheri Mecklenburg are representing the government.
The public is reminded that an information contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt; Wright is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
