Former Blue Springs Woman Pleads Guilty to $220,000 Covid Fraud

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A former Blue Springs, Mo., woman pleaded guilty in federal court today for her role in a conspiracy that resulted in more than $220,000 in fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans being issued under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

Daisha Sanders, 33, who now resides in Royse, Texas, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

By pleading guilty today, Sanders admitted she participated in a conspiracy to submit false and fraudulent applications for PPP loans from February 2021 to July 2022. The conspiracy caused more than $220,000 in fraudulent PPP loans to be issued to ineligible borrowers, most of which were forgiven even though the funds were not used for the purposes specified in the PPP.

Sanders created PPP loan applications for herself and for each of her co-conspirators in exchange for a payment from the loan proceeds. The applications falsely stated either the existence of a sole proprietorship prior to the pandemic or greatly inflated the revenues of any "businesses" that did exist in 2019. Sanders created fictitious bank records, IRS forms and other false financial documents to support the fraudulent PPP loan applications.

Sanders prepared 14 false PPP loan applications that were funded and numerous other false applications that were rejected. Generally, she charged fees between $2,000 and $5,000 for her assistance in filing false and fraudulent PPP loans, earning a total of at least $40,832 from the scheme. Under the terms of today's plea agreement, Sanders must forfeit to the government at least $40,832, representing the proceeds she personally obtained from the scheme, and must pay restitution to the Small Business Administration as determined by the court.

Sanders is the eighth defendant in this case to plead guilty; each of the convicted co-defendants admitted they applied for a PPP loan of approximately $20,833.

Under federal statutes, Sanders is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.