Four Charged in $7 Million Pandemic Relief and Mortgage Fraud Scheme
BOSTON – Four individuals have been indicted on charges related to a multi-state scheme to fraudulently obtain approximately $7 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds and, in some cases, commit mortgage and bank fraud. The charges were announced by the Department of Justice and several federal agencies on February 19 and 20, 2026.
Defendants Named in Indictment
The individuals charged are:
- Sniders Jean-Jacques, 38, of Miami, Florida
- Lorne Johnson, 38, of Boston, Massachusetts
- Tanya Pierre, 28, of Miami, Florida
- Ashley Spike, 31, of Miramar, Florida
Alleged PPP Fraud Scheme
According to the Department of Justice, Jean-Jacques, Johnson, Pierre and Spike allegedly submitted fraudulent PPP applications on behalf of borrowers who were ineligible for the loans. They reportedly claimed the borrowers operated qualifying businesses and created fake tax forms to support their applications. The defendants allegedly collected up to 30 percent of the loan proceeds as a fee for securing the funds [SBA].
Investigators believe the scheme began in March 2021 and resulted in the illicit acquisition of roughly $7 million in PPP funds. Borrowers who received funds based on these fraudulent applications allegedly paid kickbacks to the defendants, often equal to 30 percent of the loan amount [Local10].
Additional Charges: Mortgage and Bank Fraud
Jean-Jacques and Pierre face additional charges in a separate indictment related to a scheme to obtain mortgage loans and apartment leases through fraudulent means [Boston Herald]. Jean-Jacques operated a tax preparation and credit repair business in both Miami and Boston, allegedly assisting applicants with awful credit by falsifying financial documents.
Prosecutors allege that the mortgage fraud schemes involved applying for over $6.7 million in loans and obtaining more than $3.7 million, as well as securing numerous apartment rentals for unqualified applicants. Methods included forging paystubs, bank statements, and adding fraudulent applicants to credit accounts [Boston Herald].
Legal Consequences
The charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss resulting from the scheme [Local10]. Sentences are determined by a federal district court judge based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
Investigation and Task Force
The investigation was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation; the Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General; and the U.S. Secret Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Kearney of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit [SBA].
The charges stem from the work of the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force, established in May 2021 to combat pandemic-related fraud [Department of Justice].
Reporting Fraud
Anyone with information about potential COVID-19 fraud is encouraged to report it to the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or through the NCDF Web Complaint Form: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Note: The details contained in the charging documents are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.