Rockford man sentenced to 3 years in prison for scheme to get $85,000 in PPP loans through fraud

A Rockford man has been sentenced to three years in federal prison after admitting to defrauding the federal government out of more than $85,000 in COVID-19 relief funds, and to engaging in tax fraud.

Absalom Hall, 37, pleaded guilty in December 2025 to one count each of wire fraud, false statements, and engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity, according to court records.

Federal prosecutors said, in 2020 and 2021, Hall submitted multiple applications for Paycheck Protection Program loans containing false statements about his business, obtaining $85,401 in PPP loans through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.

PPP loans were government-backed loans designed to help small businesses survive the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Absalom Hall exploited a program designed to help Americans survive an unprecedented crisis," said Adam Jobes, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago. "At a time when families and small businesses were fighting to stay afloat, Hall chose greed over integrity and stole from a system built to provide relief and stability."

Hall also admitted to falsely presenting himself as an approved federal tax preparer, preparing clients federal income tax returns through is business "Lootland Tax Prep," even though he did not have an IRS-issued preparer tax identification number, which is required to prepare tax returns for others for payment.

Prosecutors said Hall did not report any of the income he got from that business on his individual tax returns in 2021 or 2022.

On Friday, U.S. District Judge Lindsay C. Jenkins sentenced Hall to three years in prison, and to pay an $85,401 penalty, as well as $30,866 in restitution to the IRS.