ATLANTA — A former government loan officer is accused of stealing COVID-19 relief funds, and a U.S. Attorney says more government workers will be charged.
U.S. Attorney Teddy Hertzberg told Channel 2 Investigative Reporter Mark Winne that a local woman unsuccessfully tried to defraud the Small Business Administration, but then she got a job with them.
That’s when Hertzberg says she approved 442 fraudulent loans and got kickbacks before getting a job with the IRS.
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He says the scheme involves $3.3 million of claims intended for those who needed it.
Hertzberg says Attalah Williams first submitted her own applications for relief money to the SBA, but did not receive any money.
Once she began working as a loan officer at the SBA, court documents says Williams began to knowingly approve fraudulent applications in exchange for a share of the funds.
Court documents say Williams would recruit applicants on Instagram, sending direct messages to potential recruits, who she referred to as clients.
“This fraud was brazen, going onto social media, telling people that she was going to use her position at the SBA to approve these loans. It was absolutely brazen,” Hertzberg told Winne.
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Hertzberg says that Williams attempted similar fraud at the IRS, but was unsuccessful.
She has pleaded not guilty, according to court documents.
“This is part of a larger investigation of federal employees who abused their position or who, notwithstanding the fact that they had a federal position, still engaged in conduct to deceive the government,” Hertzberg said.
He says they are “not nearly done prosecuting” people accused of stealing COVID-19 relief funds.
Winne reached out to Williams’ attorney and received a text back indicating that he was in court.
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