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Michigan Man Sentenced in PPP and COVID Rental Assistance Fraud Case
A Michigan man was sentenced to prison for PPP loan fraud and COVID rental assistance fraud, highlighting ongoing pandemic relief fraud enforcement.
Jun 1


Elaine Angene Escoe Lands on FBI’s Most Wanted List Over Alleged COVID Fraud Scheme
Palm Beach native Elaine Angene Escoe is on the run for a massive $34 million pandemic relief fraud scheme, making FBI history in the process.
May 26


The Gotti Name Got Him In Every Room. This Time, It May Have Helped Him Out of One.
John Gotti's grandson stole $1.1M in COVID relief, funneled $420K into crypto, and got 15 months in prison. Prosecutors wanted three years. Here's why that matters.
Apr 24


No One Is Above the Law: Two Recent Fraud Cases That Prove Accountability Still Matters
From a $40 million Houston bank fraud scheme to a South Florida deputy's PPP loan scam, two new cases show how financial fraud is being prosecuted.
Feb 23


The Growing Fraud Crisis: Why Businesses Can’t Afford to Fall Behind
At MoneyThumb, we see this firsthand. Fraudsters are no longer just exploiting weak passwords or outdated software; they’re mimicking entire financial identities.
Nov 5, 2025


The $2.3 Billion Vanishing Act: First Brands and the Factoring Fraud That Shocked Wall Street
When First Brands Group filed for bankruptcy on September 28, 2025, Wall Street expected a messy restructuring. What they got instead was a financial crime thriller involving $2.3 billion in factoring deals that simply vanished, and a DOJ investigation into one of the most brazen alleged frauds in recent memory.
Oct 13, 2025


Monday Round-Up: Loan Fraud Charges, eBay’s Open Banking, CFPB Change
“Open Banking helps to make the eBay Seller Capital application process easier, faster and more holistic for small businesses, so we can help more eBay sellers start and grow their businesses,”
Aug 18, 2025


Business Loan Broker Abraham Park Sentenced for EIDL Fraud
In one of the more notable COVID-relief fraud cases to hit the lending industry, a California business loan broker has been sentenced to nearly four years in prison for orchestrating a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program.
Aug 10, 2025


The $14 Million Fraud: How Darren Carlyle Sadler Turned Pandemic Relief Into Personal Luxury
In the summer of 2020, while small businesses across America struggled to survive the economic devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic, Darren Carlyle Sadler was living a very different reality. The 38-year-old Costa Mesa businessman had discovered what he believed was the perfect opportunity hidden within the chaos of the federal government's rushed response to the crisis.
Jul 5, 2025


Ex-TV Anchor Stephanie Hockridge Convicted in Multimillion-Dollar PPP Fraud Scheme
Stephanie Hockridge and her husband, Nathan Reis, co-founded Blueacorn in April 2020 at the height of the pandemic panic. The platform was positioned as a rapid-response solution for distributing PPP funds to small businesses locked out of traditional banking channels. But according to federal prosecutors, Blueacorn became a machine of fraud, processing over $12.5 billion in loans while implementing virtually no guardrails to prevent abuse.
Jun 23, 2025


PPP Fraud Enforcement Update: Recent Convictions Signal Ongoing Federal Crackdown
Federal prosecutors continue their aggressive pursuit of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) fraud, with two recent high-profile convictions demonstrating that the Department of Justice remains committed to holding fraudsters accountable nearly five years after the pandemic began.
Jun 11, 2025


"Yo Homie! The MCAs are crankin!", new SEC complaint shows
The Securities and Exchange Commission has filed a complaint in the Nevada District Court against two men for what amounts to a Ponzi scheme very similar to the MJ Capital case we covered last year in Miami Federal Court.
May 23, 2025


Dalio on Moody's US rating | Underestimating embedded lending | Bank fraud spike | More
“You should know that credit ratings understate credit risks because they only rate the risk of the government not paying its debt,” Dalio said in a post on social media platform X.
May 19, 2025


SBA Introduces New Anti-Fraud Measures: Key Points and What You Need to Know
The SBA is taking steps to strengthen the integrity of its loan programs with the implementation of new anti-fraud measures. These changes are being introduced with the stated support of the Department of Government Efficiency.
Apr 14, 2025


Inside Johanna Michely Garcia's sentencing hearing
As the sentencing hearing of former CEO of MJ Capital Johanna Michele Garcia began, I looked around at the people in the courtroom wondering
Dec 3, 2024


Ex-Eagles RB Faces 50 Years for Alleged COVID-19 Loan Schemes
Smallwood, who was part of the Eagles' Super Bowl-winning team, is accused of submitting fraudulent applications to both the Economic...
Nov 24, 2024
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