Two Indicted for COVID Fraud in West Virginia

MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA - Two people have been indicted for fraudulently obtaining COVID-19 relief funding on behalf of a West Virginia resident, according to United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld.

Kimberly VanKline, 56, of Hyattsville, Maryland, and Rhonda Brown-Moore, 64, of Brooklyn, New York, were indicted yesterday for conspiring to commit wire fraud as well as for substantive acts of wire fraud related to the improper receipt of funds from the COVID Relief Act.

According to the indictment, VanKline and Brown-Moore engaged in a scheme to fraudulently obtain relief funds. The defendants worked in concert to create and submit falsified documents to obtain CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans for others, including a resident of the Northern District of West Virginia. VanKline and Brown-Moore were compensated for their illegal actions from the fraudulent proceeds.

"Our team of investigators and prosecutors continues to investigate COVID fraud and there will be many more criminal charges, as well as civil enforcement actions, in the months ahead," said U.S. Attorney Ihlenfeld. "We will leave no stone unturned, we'll seek prison sentences for those who stole from the taxpayers, and claw back all money obtained fraudulently, plus penalties and interest."

VanKline and Brown-Moore face up to 20 years in federal prison for each count. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Conklin is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government and the matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The U.S. Attorney's Office is committed to combatting pandemic fraud. Anyone aware of COVID fraud is encouraged to report it via email to [email protected], by telephone to 304-234-0100, or via regular mail to the U.S. Attorney, P.O. Box 591, Wheeling, WV 26003, Attn: COVID Fraud Unit.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and each defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.