Former Michigan woman to serve jail time in pandemic-era fraud case
A woman who was living in Michigan at the time will serve seven months in jail for convictions related to fraudulent pandemic-era loan applications.
Tiesha Johnson, 57, formerly of Farmington Hills, was sentenced Wednesday in Oakland County Sixth Circuit Court to seven months in the Oakland County Jail with credit for 18 days served, the Michigan Attorney General's office said.
Johnson had previously received an 11-month delayed sentence, but she failed to pay $34,675 in restitution that was among the terms of the plea agreement, the attorney general's office said. If the pending restitution is paid within 60 days, she may participate in the Cognitive Behavioral Program for jail credit.
The investigation involved loan money obtained fraudulently from the Paycheck Protection Program and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan, authorities said. Johnson eventually pleaded no contest to three counts of false pretenses between $1,000 and $20,000.
Johnson obtained three loans totaling $34,675 while she was a federal employee, specifically an analyst for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, authorities said.
The U.S. Department of Justice Office of Inspector General referred the case in July 2022 to the Michigan Attorney General's Office, requesting an investigation.
Johnson was arrested in Dallas, Texas, and brought back to Michigan. She was arraigned on the state charges in December 2023.
Congress created the Paycheck Protection Program in March 2020, and later the Economic Injury Disaster Loan, as part of a federal emergency response to COVID-19 pandemic disruptions. The PPP loans specifically were meant for businesses to access as a way to help cover payroll expenses, and could be forgivable under certain circumstances.
"Federal assistance programs are meant to help people during difficult times, and when someone defrauds the system, they take resources away from those who truly need them," said Michigan Attorney General Nessel. "My office remains committed to holding accountable those who misuse taxpayer funds."
