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A former employee of the U.S. Department of Education has agreed to pay more than $160,000 to the United States to settle allegations of violating the federal False Claims Act. The settlement resolves claims that the individual improperly obtained and used funds from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a federal initiative designed to provide economic relief during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The individual, Natayah Adams, who resides in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, reached an agreement to pay $161,248.30. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, Adams applied for three separate PPP loans within a three-month period in 2021, each through a different lending institution. In total, Adams received $62,499.32 in loan funds. The government contended that Adams made material misrepresentations in her loan applications, including falsely stating that her business, which involved reselling jewelry purchased from an Etsy vendor, generated a gross income of $100,000. Adams was aware that the business’s actual gross income was less than that amount. Furthermore, it is alleged that Adams did not use the loan proceeds for the approved business purposes outlined in her applications, but instead diverted the funds for personal use and to support a separate business venture. The PPP was established under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, enacted in March 2020, to offer emergency financial assistance, including forgivable loans, to small businesses to aid in job retention and cover operational expenses. The program was administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA), alongside the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, to help businesses manage financial obligations during the pandemic.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office credited the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General for its role in the investigation. It is important to note that the claims resolved by this settlement are allegations, and no determination of liability has been made. For those seeking more information on fraud reporting or the priorities of the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, relevant resources can be found on justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.
Article by Mel Anara, based upon information from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.
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