Federal prosecutors say a multi-state fraud ring stretching from South Florida to Boston siphoned about $7 million from the Paycheck Protection Program, the emergency lifeline meant to keep workers on payroll during the pandemic. According to the indictment, the crew allegedly recruited ineligible borrowers, propped up applications with fabricated payroll tax forms and then pocketed as much as 30% of the loan money as their cut.
The federal indictment names Sniders Jean-Jacques, 38, of Miami; Tanya Pierre, 28, of Miami; Ashley Spike, 31, of Miramar; and Lorne Johnson, 38, of Boston. Prosecutors say Jean-Jacques and Pierre were arrested in Miami, while Johnson was taken into custody in Boston and Spike in Fort Lauderdale. Those details appear in a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Massachusetts.
How Prosecutors Say the Scheme Worked
Investigators allege the group started recruiting ineligible borrowers in March 2021, claiming those people ran qualifying businesses that were entitled to pandemic aid. Prosecutors say the conspirators supplied falsified tax documentation to PPP lenders to back up the phony claims. The alleged setup generated roughly $7 million in funded loans, and facilitators typically kept about 30% of each loan as a fee, according to WPLG Local 10.
Charges, Investigators and Potential Penalties
All four defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. According to prosecutors, that charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Massachusetts says the charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley, and that IRS Criminal Investigation, the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Secret Service assisted in the probe. The office also notes that Jean-Jacques and Pierre face a separate indictment that accuses them of conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud related to mortgage loans and apartment leases.
Where the Defendants Are From and What Comes Next
Three of the defendants are listed as South Florida residents, with two from Miami and one from Miramar, while Johnson is described as living in Boston, underscoring the cross‑state reach of the alleged operation. Local court coverage indicates the Miami defendants have already appeared before federal judges there, and that the case will move forward in federal court in Boston, according to WPLG Local 10.
Why Prosecutors Keep Chasing PPP Fraud
Federal authorities have made pandemic relief fraud a continuing priority, arguing that PPP funds were meant to keep small businesses afloat and workers employed during the COVID-19 economic shock, not to bankroll scams. Similar cases in South Florida have already produced prison sentences and multimillion-dollar restitution orders. One 2023 case involved a Fort Lauderdale man who received more than six years in prison after obtaining roughly $2.1 million through false PPP applications, according to reporting by The Associated Press…