1. Introduction: Anatomy of a Pandemic Fraud – The Fayetteville Case In a Fayetteville, Arkansas federal courtroom, the carefully constructed facade of a legitimate business couple crumbled. Fawaad Welch and Julia Youngblood, both 41 and formerly residents of Northwest Arkansas, pleaded guilty to federal charges stemming from a scheme to defraud the very programs designed
The COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented economic challenges, prompting the US government to launch massive relief programs like the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. These initiatives, designed to keep businesses afloat and protect jobs, were unfortunately also targeted by fraudsters. The case of Casie Hynes, a 39-year-old woman from
Atlanta, GA – In a stark reminder of the pervasive fraud that plagued COVID-19 relief programs, two Georgia men, Johnny Narcisse and his cousin Johnson Dieujuste, have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a sophisticated scheme that defrauded the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program of
The COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented challenges, not just in terms of public health but also in economic stability. To mitigate the financial fallout, the U.S. government implemented several relief programs, including the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). While these programs were lifelines for many struggling businesses, they also became
