Laplace Resident Sentenced for Role in Preparing and Submitting Fraudulent Cares Act Financial Assistance Applications

NEW ORLEANS –  U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that MUNIRA SCHOFIELD (“SCHOFIELD”), age 28, a resident of LaPlace, La., was sentenced by United States District Judge Eldon E. Fallon to four years of probation, with twelve months to be served on home confinement, after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 371 and 1343.  The charges stem from SCHOFIELD’s role in a conspiracy to prepare and file fraudulent applications for loans related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).  Judge Fallon also ordered SCHOFIELD to pay over $219,000 in restitution and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.  SCHOFIELD’s co-conspirators, her mother, Lynn Schofield (“Lynn”), and brother, Bashir Schofield (“Bashir”), were convicted separately for their respective roles in the offense. 

According to court documents, SCHOFIELD, Lynn and Bashir submitted fraudulent applications to obtain money from Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and Economic Injury Disaster (EIDL) loans.  Each defendant submitted at least one loan.  All applications falsely represented that the applicant had a sole proprietorship and generated substantial income from the business, by overinflating gross receipts.  The entities either did not exist or earned far less money than reported.  They also misrepresented that the loan proceeds would be used for business related purposes, when, in fact, the defendants intended to use the money for personal reasons.  SCHOFIELD submitted a fraudulent application for an EIDL loan for a business she claimed to own, “Just Jocin.”  In conjunction with her mother, Lynn, SCHOFIELD also gave false material information to the Small Business Administration.  This false information included the gross inflation of monthly gross receipts to support still other loans, including for an entity named “Afromerica Touch 360, LLC,” and used some of the resulting funds for herself.