Vanessa M. Williams, 35, of Corona, and Denise Mata, 34, of Moreno Valley, were arrested Thursday on a 23-count federal grand jury indictment alleging they and two men schemed to defraud a COVID-19 pandemic-relief program out of more than $3 million, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California.
Williams and Mata are charged with nine and 10 counts of wire fraud, respectively for helping others fraudulently obtain COVID business loans in exchange for a cut of the illicit proceeds, the department stated.
According to the indictment that a grand jury returned on August 14, Williams and Mata made false statements to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and banks in connection with fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications.
The indictment also reveals that each loan application included fraudulent tax forms intended to deceive the SBA and PPP-participating lenders into disbursing funds.
As outlined in the indictment, lenders approved PPP loans for Williams, Mata, and more than 100 co-conspirators, and the funds were deposited into accounts controlled by the defendants and their associates.