ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Latifa Brooks, a resident of McLean, has agreed to pay $107,347 to settle a civil fraud case alleging that she fraudulently applied for and received two Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and subsequently fraudulently obtained forgiveness on both loans.
On March 31, 2022, the United States filed a Complaint against Brooks under the False Claims Act (FCA) and the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act (FIRREA). According to the allegations in the Complaint, in April 2021, Brooks obtained two PPP loans, totaling $42,601, based on her asserted status as an independent contractor and the sole proprietor of Superb Movers, Inc. The United States alleged Brooks listed false gross income amounts and submitted fake tax returns in support of the PPP applications. In September 2021, Brooks obtained forgiveness for both PPP loans through allegedly falsely certifying compliance with all PPP rules and requirements.
As a part of this resolution, Brooks agreed to repay $47,772 for the loan forgiveness amounts and processing fees that the Government paid because of Brooks’ allegedly false claims and statements, and an additional $59,575 to settle the United States’ claims for treble damages under the FCA and civil penalties under the FCA and alternatively the FIRREA. The Complaint filed by the United States is a result of EDVA’s ongoing effort to use data analysis to proactively identify fraudulently obtained PPP loans.
The resolutions obtained...
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