Three Nampa-Area Residents Plead Guilty to COVID-19 Relief Fraud

BOISE – Miguel Vittorio, Yessenia Casillas, and Luis Vasquez pleaded guilty to bank fraud charges in separate federal cases for defrauding the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”), Acting U.S. Attorney Justin Whatcott announced today.  The PPP was a COVID-19 pandemic relief program administered by the Small Business Administration that provided forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other related business expenses.

Miguel Vittorio

According to court records, Vittorio admitted that he submitted two PPP loan applications in March 2021 that contained false and fraudulent information. In both applications, Vittorio included false information about the number employees and the amount of monthly payroll.  He also submitted false and fraudulent documentation in connection with these loans in an effort to substantiate the false information included on the applications.  Vittorio additionally admitted that he submitted a fraudulent PPP loan application on behalf of another individual which also included false information and fraudulent supporting documentation.  In total, as a result of the fraudulent loans, Vittorio and others received approximately $126,800 in fraudulent PPP loan proceeds.

Vittorio pleaded guilty to bank fraud last week and Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill will sentence Vittorio on June 16, 2025.  The charge in this case is punishable by up to 30 years in federal prison, a maximum fine of $250,000 and up to 5 years of supervised release.

Yessenia Casillas

During her change of plea hearing, Casillas admitted that in February 2021, she submitted two PPP loan applications on behalf of two businesses that contained false information about the number of employees and the amount of payroll.  Casillas also submitted fraudulent documentation with the PPP loan applications in an effort to substantiate the false information included on the loans. As a result of the fraudulent loan applications, Casillas and others received approximately $74,500 in fraudulent loan proceeds.

Casillas pleaded guilty to bank fraud in January and Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill will sentence Casillas on April 29, 2025.  The charge in this case is punishable by up to 30 years in federal prison, a maximum fine of $250,000 and up to 5 years of supervised release.

Luis Vasquez

According to facts admitted at his change of plea, Vasquez engaged in a bank fraud scheme in April 2021 to fraudulently obtain a PPP loan by submitting an application that contained false information about the purported business’s employees and amount of payroll.  Additionally, false and fraudulent documentation was submitted in connection with the loan application including falsified tax documents and payroll reports. As a result of the fraudulent PPP loan application, Vasquez and others received approximately $51,614.   

Vasquez pleaded guilty in January and U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford will sentence Vasquez on April 16, 2025.  The charge in this case is punishable by up to 30 years in federal prison, a maximum fine of $250,000 and up to 5 years of supervised release.

Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott commended the investigations by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and the U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General, which led to the charges.  Assistant U.S Attorney Brittney Campbell prosecuted the cases.

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