ATLANTA - A former federal worker will serve six and a half years in federal prison after using her positions at the U.S. Small Business Administration and IRS to steal millions in COVID-19 relief funds, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
What we know:
Federal prosecutors said Attallah Williams, 33, of Hampton, orchestrated a three-year scheme targeting four federal emergency relief programs.
She submitted fraudulent applications for non-operational businesses to obtain Economic Injury Disaster Loans and Paycheck Protection Program loans, the news release said. Williams later secured a position as an SBA loan officer, using her inside access to approve fraudulent COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan Advance grants for accomplices she recruited on Instagram in exchange for kickbacks, federal prosecutors added.
After leaving the SBA, Williams became an IRS tax examining technician, where she again used social media to recruit co-conspirators, authorities said. She instructed participants on filing false tax documents to claim Employee Retention Tax Credit payments, collecting a fee for each submission. In total, Williams submitted over $3.5 million in false claims, with $3,272,000 distributed before authorities disrupted the operation, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
She was sentenced to six years and six months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay $3,272,000 in restitution after pleading guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States through fraudulent claims.
What they're saying:
Federal law enforcement leaders condemned Williams for abusing her access to public programs intended for businesses struggling during the pandemic.
"Williams misused her public office to steal taxpayer money intended to promote employment during a national crisis, and she deepened her fraud by recruiting accomplices through Instagram," said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg.
What we don't know:
Federal officials did not disclose the identities of the accomplices recruited through social media, nor did they clarify whether additional charges will be filed against participants who received kickbacks or referral fees.
The Source: The information in this story came from a press release issued by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia.