Kansas City woman sentenced for COVID-19 scheme

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (News-Press NOW) -- A Kansas City woman was sentenced in federal court for filing a false claim as part of a scheme to fraudulently receive approximately $62,811.75 in COVID-19 relief funds from the government.

Robin Brooks, 55, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Greg Kays to 15 months' imprisonment and ordered to pay $62,811.75 in restitution to the Small Business Administration (SBA) and to Jackson County, Missouri.

The Coronavirus Aid Relief, and Economy Security ("CARES" Act) was a federal law enacted in or around March of 2020 and designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who were suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

As part of the CARES Act, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was created to provide forgivable loans to small businesses that were administered from the SBA through corresponding financial institution.

The purpose of the PPP was to provide support to small businesses and assist their payroll to their employees during the pandemic.

In her guilty plea, Brooks admitted that, in 2021 she submitted two fraudulent applications to the SBA for loans using fake businesses.

Brooks' businesses never actually existed and did not have any employees. In a related scheme, Brooks submitted approximately $30,345 in false invoices to Jackson County, Missouri, to receive CARES Act Funds for a non-profit organization she created to provide food to people negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Brooks now owes the SBA $32,466 and Jackson County $30,345 based on the false claims.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Venneman and was investigated by the United States Secret Service.