GEORGIA — A Florida lawyer has been found guilty of participating in a scheme to fraudulently obtain funds from a federal COVID-19 small business relief program.
Shaquandra Woods, 40, of Jacksonville, Fla., was convicted after a four-day trial in U.S. District Court on a charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
Woods faces up to 20 years in prison, along with substantial financial penalties and restitution, followed by a period of supervised release upon completion of any prison term.
As authorized by the CARES Act, the Small Business Administration (SBA) provided Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) to eligible small businesses experiencing substantial financial interruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Woods, an attorney licensed to practice law in Florida and Georgia, is said to have completed at least nine applications for EIDL funding for herself and others, fabricating and submitting false documents to support the applications.
According to evidence presented during the trial, because of the fraudulent applications, Woods attempted to secure nearly $800,000 in COVID-19 funding for herself and others in the conspiracy and was successful in obtaining more than $300,000 for herself.
U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker will schedule sentencing for Woods upon completion of a pre-sentence investigation by U.S. Probation Services.
The case is being investigated by the FBI and the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General. United States Senior Litigation Counsel Jennifer G. Solari and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan C. Grover are prosecuting it.
