Two Women, One Scam, and a Pandemic: How to Turn CARES into CHAOS

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In a plot that would make even the most jaded con artist raise an eyebrow, two enterprising ladies from the Garden State and West Virginia decided the CARES Act was less about “relief” and more about “let’s see how much we can get away with.” Kisha Sutton of Jersey City and Shamiese Wright of Charleston, West Virginia, have been found guilty of what can only be described as a masterclass in financial creativity-or, as the Justice Department calls it, “aiding and abetting bank fraud and money laundering.”

The dynamic duo concocted a scheme so audacious, it involved a fraudulent $15,625 Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) loan. Because, you know, why work for money when you can just make it appear out of thin air? The Small Business Administration (SBA), bless their trusting hearts, guaranteed the loan under the CARES Act, which was supposed to help those poor souls hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Turns out, these two were more hit by the “get rich quick” bug.

Sutton, playing the role of the mastermind (or at least the one with the printer), submitted the PPP loan application on Wright’s behalf on April 19th, 2021. The claim? Wright was a self-employed individual raking in $75,000 in 2020. The reality? Wright was about as self-employed as a goldfish is a marine biologist. She didn’t earn $75,000 in any year, and her main income in 2020 came from unemployment benefits. Oh, and that IRS Form 1040? Totally fake. As fake as a three-dollar bill. Or a sincere politician.

Wright, not one to let a good scam go to waste, received the $15,625 in her personal bank account around May 7th, 2021. Because, you know, nothing says “financial relief” like a windfall from a fraudulent loan. She then used a digital wallet app to transfer $3,000 to Sutton, presumably as a “thank you for being my partner in crime” gift. The DOJ notes that Wright staggered her payments and used transfer descriptions so misleading, they’d make a politician’s campaign promise look honest.

So, what’s the moral of this story? Well, if you’re going to commit bank fraud, at least make sure your fake tax forms are convincing. And maybe don’t use a digital wallet app to split the proceeds-cash is still king in the underworld. As for Sutton and Wright, they’re now facing years behind bars, where the only “PPP” they’ll be dealing with is “Prisoner Protection Program.” And let’s be honest, that’s not nearly as lucrative.

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2026-01-23 21:11