United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced the indictment of Jeanty Cherilus, a 54-year-old from Lakeland, on five counts of wire fraud.
Cherilus, the owner of Natransusa Corporation (NATRANS), faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each count. The indictment also seeks forfeiture of $370,000, the proceeds of the alleged criminal conduct, according to the press release.
The indictment alleges that Cherilus submitted fraudulent applications for federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) through NATRANS. These applications reportedly contained false representations, including inflated employee numbers and payroll figures, and certifications that the loan proceeds would be used for business-related purposes. Cherilus is accused of using the funds for personal enrichment instead.
An indictment is a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Agency for International Development – Office of Inspector General and the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Greg Pizzo will prosecute the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force aims to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assist agencies in preventing fraud by sharing information and techniques.
For more information on the Department of Justice’s response to the pandemic, visit Justice.gov/Coronavirus and Justice.gov/Coronavirus/CombatingFraud. Anyone with information about attempted COVID-19 fraud can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form.