Chicago Police Sergeant Charged With Fraudulently Obtaining More Than $41,000 in COVID-Relief Loans (Chicago, IL) – A Chicago Police sergeant has been charged in federal court with allegedly fraudulently obtaining more than $41,000 in COVID-19 relief loans through the federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois.
Federal prosecutors allege that Brandi Wright, 44, submitted two fraudulent PPP loan applications in 2021 for a bakery business that did not actually exist. Authorities said the applications contained false information regarding the company’s revenue, payroll expenses, and operational costs.
According to a criminal information filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Chicago, Wright obtained two PPP loans totaling $41,662 and intended to use the funds for personal benefit.
Wright, a Chicago Police sergeant and Chicago resident, has been charged with wire fraud, a federal offense punishable by up to 20 years in prison if convicted. An arraignment date has not yet been scheduled.
The charge was announced by U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros alongside FBI Chicago Special Agent-in-Charge Douglas S. DePodesta and IRS Criminal Investigation Chicago Special Agent-in-Charge Adam Jobes.
Federal officials said the prosecution is part of a renewed effort to investigate and prosecute fraud involving federal COVID-19 relief programs established under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
“Under the leadership of U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros and consistent with the Administration’s priorities to identify, investigate, and prosecute criminal fraud in the federal government entitlement and benefit programs, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois is taking a fresh look at Covid-19 fraud,” the office said in a statement.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard M. Rothblatt and Sheri Mecklenburg are representing the government in the case.
Federal authorities emphasized that a criminal information is not evidence of guilt and that Wright is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Chicago Police Sergeant Charged With Fraudulently Obtaining More Than $41,000 in COVID-Relief Loans
