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Federal prosecutors say North Carolina woman lied to get nearly $ 150,000 in coronavirus relief that she then spent on shopping sprees
Jasmine Johnnae Clifton, 24, appeared in court on Monday and was subsequently released on $ 25,000 bail, according to a press release from the North Carolina West District Attorney’s Office.
The statement said Clifton applied for a Small Business Administration loan in March designed to provide relief to existing businesses affected by pandemic shutdowns. She created bogus documents claiming $ 350,000 in gross revenue over 12 months for her online clothing business, Jazzy Jas, even though other documents filed in early 2020 showed that the company had indeed been dissolved in September 2019, did he declare.
The loan application was approved in early August and Clifton received $ 149,900, which she then spent at more than two dozen retailers, also shopping at Ikea and Rooms to Go, the statement said.
On February 17, a grand jury indicted Clifton with wire fraud in connection with a disaster benefit and fraud in connection with a major disaster or emergency benefits. If convicted, Clifton faces 30 years on each charge and a possible combined fine of $ 1,250,000.
The Clifton defender declined to comment on the charges on Tuesday.
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