Former MPD Administrative Clerk Pleads Guilty to Defrauding U.S. Small Business Administration

            WASHINGTON – Diamond T. Ransome, 34, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty October 21, 2025, in D.C. Superior Court to one felony count of fraud in the first degree for obtaining more than $26,000 from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) in 2020 and 2021. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro.

           The Honorable Carmen McLean accepted Ransome’s plea and scheduled sentencing for January 16, 2026.

            According to court documents, Ransome admitted that in 2020, she submitted applications to two SBA small-business loan programs while working in a full-time civilian position at the Metropolitan Police Department. Her first application, submitted on July 3, 2020, sought a loan from the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, which was intended to provide emergency financial relief to small businesses suffering economic hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic.

            In her EIDL application, Ransome falsely claimed that she operated a hair and nail salon, even though she had no registered business at that time and provided only limited beauty services to a few acquaintances. Through her fraudulent application, Ransome secured a $1,000 cash advance and a $6,500 business loan from the SBA. She admitted that she did not intend to repay more than $5,600 still owed on that loan.

            Her second application, submitted on July 24, 2020, sought a loan from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), another SBA pandemic relief program administered through private lenders. In that application, Ransome falsely stated that she was a “Lash Extensionist” and attached a falsified tax document listing her gross business income for the previous year as more than $117,000.

            Based on those misrepresentations, the SBA issued Ransome a $20,833 PPP loan. In August 2021, she applied for and received forgiveness of that loan, falsely asserting that she used the proceeds for eligible business expenses. As a result, the SBA reimbursed Ransome’s private lender the full PPP loan amount plus interest.

            Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            This case was investigated by Metropolitan Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Micah Bluming.

Editor's Note:
This matter occurred on date indicated but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.