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Non-DOJ Individual Pleaded Guilty to Pandemic Related Fraud Charges in Investigation by the DOJ OIG on Behalf of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee

Date

On July 31, 2023, a non-DOJ individual pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement for the purpose of obtaining a Small Business Administration loan.  Michael Molen pleaded guilty in the Northern District of Georgia.  According to the factual statement in support of the guilty plea, from in or about May 2020 through in or about May 2021, Molen submitted multiple false Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications and one false Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) application, each of which contained materially false information, including inflated average monthly payroll, inflated number of employees, and false tax returns.  The Small Business Administration ultimately issued approximately $293,920 in fraudulent payments to Molen.  The investigation is being conducted by the OIG’s Fraud Detection Office and the FBI, on behalf of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee.

Case Action
Plea