CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A Charleston woman has pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting monetary laundering in relation to COVID-19 relief funds.
Court documents show that Shamiese Wright, 32, received $15,625 in proceeds from a Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) loan.
Kisha Sutton, 44, of Jersey City, New Jersey, was listed as the co-defendant in the case. Sutton submitted a PPP loan application on Wright’s behalf on April 19, 2021. The application listed Wright as a self-employed person that received $75,000 in 2020. Wright was not self-employed, nor did she earn $75,000 during the year.
The application was approved by a PPP lender in Florida, and the fraudulent loan proceeds were deposited in Wright’s bank account on May 7, 2021. Wright then transferred $3,000 from the funds to Sutton between May 7 and May 21 as compensation for Sutton submitting the loan.
The rest of the funds were spent by Wright on personal expenses.
Wright faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $500,000 fine. She’s scheduled be sentenced on October 29.
Sutton was convicted by a federal jury of aiding and abetting bank fraud and aiding and abetting laundering of monetary instruments. She faces up to 50 years in prison and will be sentenced on November 13.