Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul has secured a guilty plea and restitution from a former state employee who defrauded the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) during the COVID-19 pandemic, the office announced today. Alicia Pernell, 36, of Joliet, admitted to a Class 2 felony charge of theft by deception for fraudulently obtaining roughly $20,000 in relief funds, according to a press release from the Attorney General’s office.
In detailing the outcome of the case, Pernell, who was employed by the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) at the time of her fraudulent PPP loan application under the guise of a business named “Alicia Pernell,” has paid $5,000 in restitution up front, Judge Jessica Colon-Sayre has ordered her to continue with $625 monthly payments until the full restitution is made, Raoul commented on the resolution of the case “I am pleased with the outcome of this case that holds an individual accountable for taking advantage of assistance programs while they were responsible for serving the people of Illinois,” Raoul said.
The sentencing includes a demand for Pernell to fulfill the remainder of her financial restitution in $625 installments each month, also she was given two years of second chance probation; this comes after her initial payment towards the disclosed amount. The focus on prosecuting such fraud cases highlights Attorney General Raoul’s commitment to ensure pandemic aid reached its intended beneficiaries and not those exploiting the system for personal gain…