D.C. Consultant Pleads Guilty to $1.5 Million Fraud of Covid-Era Loan Program

            WASHINGTON – Jennifer May, 43, of the District of Columbia, pleaded guilty today to her role in a scheme that defrauded $1,500,000 in Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) from the U.S. Government, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            May pleaded guilty to an Information charging her with one count of wire fraud before U.S. District Court Judge Christopher R. Cooper, who scheduled sentencing for December 9, 2025. Under the terms of the plea agreement, May must return the $1,500,000 to the United States.

            According to court documents, May was founder and owner of Next Level Partners LLC, a consulting firm specializing in assisting campaigns with complying with campaign finance regulations and managing their accounts payable functions.

            In October 2021, May applied for a second modification to an original EIDL application, requesting an additional $1,500,000 in EIDL funds for Next Level Partners.

            The EIDL was a response to the COVID-19 pandemic in which the U.S. Small Business Administration offered small business owners low-interest, long-term loans. The funds were intended to be used for working capital to make regular payments for operating expenses, including payroll, rent/mortgage, utilities, and other ordinary business expenses, and to pay business debt.

            May falsely certified on loan applications that she would use all loan proceeds only for business-related purposes. Instead, she misappropriated the funds to speculate on cryptocurrency and to pay for  unrelated business ventures and other personal expenditures.

            This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the IRS-CI. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Hart of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section.

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