Top Chicago Criminal Defense Lawyer Michael Leonard on alleged PPP Fraud by State of Illinois employees

Top Chicago Criminal Defense Lawyer Michael Leonard on alleged PPP Fraud by State of Illinois employees. The Federal Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) provided billions in monetary relief during the COVID years.

Some of that money, like any money doled out by way of a Federal relief program, was intentionally – and sometimes unintentionally – misused. Moreover, a certain percentage of applicants made misrepresentations to obtain such PPP funds in the first instance. This “PPP fraud” has resulted in Federal criminal prosecutions in Federal District Courts across the country. The attorneys at Leonard Trial Lawyers have provided consultation and representation in connection with a number of such matters.

Now, it appears that there may be a wave of Illinois State Court prosecutions arising out of alleged PPP fraud by State of Illinois employees and others. Michael Leonard, Matthew Chivari, and Leonard Trial Lawyers is uniquely situated to handle these cases, particularly with their deep and successful experience handling criminal prosecutions in both the Federal and State Courts.

The reason that more of these cases may be brought in the Illinois State Courts is a recent Report issued by the Office of the Illinois Executive Inspector General (“IG”). According to the Report, and the summary of it by publications including the Chicago Tribune, a number of Illinois state employees made up alleged businesses that they were purportedly operating; or provided money to other individuals to falsely fill out PPP applications; or falsely filled out documents and applications that dramatically overstated their alleged income arising out of their non-State “side jobs” or businesses – all in furtherance of attempts to receive PPP loans/disbursements. Accordingly, the Report and published reports about it indicate that the IG found 275 such instances of alleged fraud.