A woman from the Mid-City neighborhood of Los Angeles was sentenced to five years in federal prison on Feb. 27 for fraudulently obtaining more than $2 million in COVID-19 government loans and submitting false claims in an unsuccessful effort to secure nearly $1.3 million in pandemic-related tax credits from the IRS.
Casie Hynes, 39, was sentenced by United States District Judge Hernán D. Vera, who also ordered her to pay more than $2.2 million in restitution. In April 2024, Hynes pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of false claims.
“The defendant exploited a crisis to line her own pockets, diverting vital relief funds from businesses that needed the money,” Acting United States Attorney Joseph McNally said. “The sentence sends a message to others that you will be held accountable if you steal government relief funds.”
From June 2020 to December 2021, Hynes submitted more than 80 fraudulent applications for Paycheck Protection Program loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loans from banks and the United States Small Business Administration in the names of approximately 20 companies. Congress created the programs to provide government relief to businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hynes submitted the bogus applications in the names of existing and newly created companies, including Nasty Womxn Project, She Suite Collective and others purportedly owned by Hynes or her friends and family members. On those applications, Hynes often used the personal...
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