ABERDEEN — A Sledge man has been sentenced to more than three years in federal prison for his role in a COVID-19 relief fraud scheme that stole nearly $750,000 from the federal government, authorities said.
Docterance Atkins, 32, was sentenced last week to 38 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of wire fraud conspiracy and one count of money laundering, according to court records. U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock also ordered Atkins to pay restitution and imposed five years of supervised release following his prison term.
The investigation began after IRS Criminal Investigation received a tip alleging Atkins had committed fraud related to COVID-19 relief programs. Investigators determined Atkins recruited individuals in the community and helped them fraudulently apply for Paycheck Protection Program loans under the CARES Act in exchange for kickbacks.
Authorities said Atkins assisted numerous individuals in submitting PPP loan applications that included false information about the number of employees and the scope of business operations. The PPP program was administered by the Small Business Administration to provide forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain operating expenses during the pandemic.
U.S. Attorney Scott Leary said Atkins exploited a national emergency for personal gain.
“This defendant exploited a national emergency and stole money that was meant to help businesses suffering during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Leary said. “He has been held accountable, and we will recover this money for American taxpayers.”
Demetrius Hardeman, special agent in charge of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Atlanta Field Office, said the sentence sends a message to others who abused pandemic relief programs.
“Those who defrauded the COVID-19 economic program for small businesses took funds designated to help retain employees and used it for their personal gain,” Hardeman said.
The case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Stringfellow.
Federal officials encourage anyone with information about suspected fraud involving COVID-19 relief programs to report it to the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud.
