Federal Grand Jury in Chicago Indicts Five Individuals for Alleged Covid-Relief Fraud

A federal grand jury in Chicago has indicted five individuals for allegedly fraudulently obtaining millions of dollars in small business loans and other benefits under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act.

George Kavroulakis, Athanasios Intzes, Adam Jaber, Hassan Kurdi and Abdullah Issa engaged in fraud related to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Economic Injury Disaster Loan program (EIDL), and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program (PUA)—three sources of relief under the CARES Act, according to an indictment unsealed this week in the Northern District of Illinois.

The indictment charges Kavroulakis, 33, of Tinley Park, Ill., with nine counts of wire fraud; Intzes, 35, of Orland Park, Ill., with five counts of wire fraud; Jaber, 34, of Chicago, with nine counts of wire fraud; Kurdi, 35, of Chicago, with four counts of wire fraud; and Issa, 26, of Tinley Park, Ill., with four counts of wire fraud.

Each count is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison.

The defendants have pleaded not guilty to the charges. A status hearing is scheduled for Aug. 14, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Lindsay C. Jenkins.

The indictment alleges that the defendants defrauded lenders and the U.S. Small Business Administration of millions of dollars in PPP loans and EIDL funds. In 2020 and 2021, the defendants submitted numerous fraudulent applications on behalf of themselves, other individuals, and corporate entities purportedly owned by some of the defendants, the indictment states. The applications contained materially false statements and misrepresentations about the defendants’ companies, including the number of purported employees, revenue and payroll amounts, and other expenses, the indictment states.

The indictment further accuses Kavroulakis, Jaber, and Intzes of causing the disbursement of approximately $750,000 in fraudulent PUA benefits in Illinois and California. The defendants obtained the PUA benefits by submitting materially false statements and misrepresentations regarding the unemployment status of themselves and others, the indictment states.

Much of the fraud proceeds was used for the defendants’ personal benefit, including the purchase of multiple Mercedes-Benz vehicles and a Rolex Submariner watch, the indictment states.

The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, Robert Collins, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Central Region, Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General, and Megan Howell, Special Agent-in-Charge, Great Lakes Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward A. Liva, Jr. and Beth E. Palmer.

The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Anyone with information about attempted fraud involving Covid-19 is encouraged to report it to the Department of Justice by calling the National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or filing an online complaint at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

kavroulakis_et_al_indictment.pdf

Charges filed against suspects in Rockford, Illinois

Five individuals have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Rockford in a scheme alleging more than $1 million in federal benefit fraud.

The indictment returned Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Rockford charges TYESHA BOWMAN, 32, of Beloit, Wis., with thirty-four counts of mail and wire fraud; LIBRA MARTIN, 48, of Rockford, with fourteen counts of wire fraud; LAMONT FOSTER, 38, of Rockford, with eight counts of mail and wire fraud; KHADIJAH BROWN, 31, of Rockford, with two counts of mail fraud; and SIETA CARRINGTON, 36, of Rockford, with one count of mail fraud. Arraignments have not yet been scheduled.

According to the indictment, Bowman and Martin schemed to defraud and fraudulently obtain over $500,000 in connection with the Paycheck Protection Program and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program, both programs enacted under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”). Bowman, Foster, Brown, and Carrington schemed to defraud and fraudulently obtain over $500,000 in connection with the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program.

The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ladd.

The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Each count of mail and wire fraud carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. If convicted, the Court must impose reasonable sentences under federal sentencing statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.

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Ray Hanania is an award-winning opinion columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.

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