FLORIDA — A Florida woman has pleaded guilty in federal court in Fort Lauderdale to participating in a scheme to submit fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications totaling over $400,000.
Lakeisha Black, also known as “Lakeisha Pierce,” admitted to conspiracy charges on Oct. 15, with sentencing set for Jan. 7, 2025.
According to court documents, Ms Black charged between $2,000 and $6,000 from July 2020 through June 2021 to prepare falsified PPP loan applications for at least 14 individuals.
Among her clients were three former deputies from the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, each of whom has pleaded guilty and received sentences in related cases.
If convicted, Black could face up to five years in prison, with sentencing to be determined by U.S. District Judge Rodney Smith based on federal sentencing guidelines and statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Markenzy Lapointe; Special Agent in Charge Brian Tucker, Eastern Region, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau; Special Agent in Charge Darrin K. Jones of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office; Sheriff Gregory Tony of Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO), and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of FBI, Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
