NEWARK, N.J. — A Florida woman who fraudulently obtained more than $465,000 in pandemic relief funds through falsified loan applications will serve 18 months in federal prison, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.
Jane Batista, 44, of Lake Worth, was sentenced Friday in U.S. District Court in Newark after previously pleading guilty to wire fraud and money laundering charges.
Fraud scheme targeted pandemic relief funds
According to federal prosecutors, Batista carried out the scheme between April 2020 and August 2021, exploiting the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) created to support businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Authorities said she submitted multiple fraudulent loan applications for herself, her husband, and two businesses they owned…