Activeduty U.S. Army soldiers stationed in Prince George facing fraud charges
Dec 03, 2024
PRINCE GEORGE COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- Three active-duty U.S. Army soldiers have either pleaded guilty to or are accused of fraudulently obtaining COVID-19 small business relief loans while stationed at Fort Gregg-Adams in Prince George County.
These charges relate to the fraudulent acquisition of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans from the Small Business Administration (SBA), according to a Dec. 3 press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
The two soldiers who have since pleaded guilty to such fraud -- 42-year-old Major Eduwell Jenkins and 30-year-old Sergeant Malaysia Stubbs -- did so on Dec. 3 and Nov. 5, respectively.
Also on Tuesday, the third soldier -- 42-year-old Sergeant First Class Crispin Antonio Abad -- was hit with an eight-count indictment accusing him of similar crimes.
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According to the DOJ, Jenkins and Stubbs both applied for a PPP loan in 2021. They were active-duty soldiers at the time, but falsely represented that they each had jobs outside of the military that earned them more than $100,000 annually.
The two soldiers fabricated tax documents to support their claims to this false income, which they submitted to the SBA. Said documents were never actually submitted to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
As a result, Jenkins and Stubbs each fraudulently received over $20,000 in government-backed PPP loans.
Jenkins and Stubbs are both scheduled to be sentenced in late March 2025. They each face a maximum of 5 years in prison.
According to the DOJ, the indictment against Abad alleges that he fraudulently obtained two PPP loans in 2021, during a time when his responsibilities included enforcing the Army's Honor Code and Standards of Conduct.
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Abad is accused of claiming $100,000 in annual income in 2020 from a business called "Grany's Delight," which he reportedly said sold his grandmother's pies. According to the DOJ, Abad allegedly supported this filing with fabricated tax documents, which were never actually submitted to the IRS.
Abad is accused of thusly obtaining $41,000 in PPP loans through these means.
"Abad then allegedly used fraudulently obtained funds for various luxury and recreational spending, including purchases at the Fort Gregg-Adams Golf Course, Ace Adventure Resort in West Virginia, Victoria’s Secret, Sunglass Hut and the Virginia ABC Store," the DOJ said. "Additionally, Abad allegedly purchased jewelry at Reeds Jeweler and withdrew hundreds of dollars in fraud proceeds at the MGM Casino in National Harbor, Maryland."
If convicted, Abad faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.