Owner Of Carlisle Area Trucking Business Charged With Covid-Relief Fraud
Department of Justice, 04 June 2021
HARRISBURG- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Keith McConnell, age 43, of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, was charged by criminal information with perpetrating a wire fraud and money laundering scheme that sought $467,200.00 in COVID-19 relief funds guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
The PPP was designed to help small businesses facing financial difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic. Funded by the March 27, 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, PPP funds were offered in forgivable loans to small businesses for employee job retention and certain other expenses. PPP loan amounts were determined by the number of employees and average monthly payroll costs.
According to Acting United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, the criminal information alleges that Keith McConnell submitted fraudulent PPP loan applications and forged documents on behalf of his Carlisle-area trucking company, KB Transportation LLC. In both 2019 and 2020, KB Transportation LLC was not in business, had no employees, and had no payroll expenses. On June 5, 2020, however, McConnell falsely certified that KB Transportation LLC employed twenty-six employees and had monthly payroll expenses totaling $124,800.00. As a result of the fraud, McConnell received $312,000.00 in PPP loan proceeds. Within weeks, McConnell and his co-conspirators spent the PPP funds on unauthorized expenditures including the purchase of a residential property, two vehicles, and stock market investments. On January 20, 2021, McConnell used KB Transportation LLC to apply for a second PPP loan in the amount of $155,200.00, and again submitted false and fraudulent loan applications and documents. The second PPP loan was never disbursed.
“Covid relief fraud is a high priority for our office and the Department of Justice,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Bruce D. Brandler. “These funds were meant to help small businesses survive the pandemic not for fraudsters to support an opulent lifestyle. Our Covid Relief Fraud Task Force will continue to investigate all credible allegations of covid fraud and prosecute any individuals who may have abused this program.”
