Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud on First Day of Trial

Baltimore, Maryland – A Maryland man, who previously decided to stand trial stemming from bank-fraud crimes, changed his mind and pled guilty on the first day of his federal trial.

Eric Tano Tataw, 39, of Gaithersburg, Maryland, pled guilty to bank fraud in connection with multiple fraudulent COVID-19 relief loans for his company, National Telegraph, LLC. Tataw also admitted that he attempted to obstruct justice by providing fake documents to a subpoenaed grand-jury witness and instructed her to bring the documents to the grand jury.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge Christopher R. Heck, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Maryland, Special Agent in Charge David Richeson, U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) – Washington Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI Baltimore Field Office.

According to the guilty plea, beginning in April 2020, and continuing through May 2021, Tataw executed a scheme to defraud a financial institution, along with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). Through the scheme, Tataw sought to obtain two fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans for his company.

On his loan applications, Tataw made several materially false statements, including inflating the number of employees and annual monthly payroll amounts. Tataw also submitted false earning statements in the names of individuals who did not work for National Telegraph, including Witness 1.

Additionally, Tataw submitted false tax documents in support of the applications. As a result, Tataw fraudulently obtained $163,302 in PPP funding and misused most of these funds on personal expenses. In October 2020, Tataw also attempted to defraud the SBA by applying for a fraudulent $150,000 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL). On his EIDL application, Tataw made materially false statements, including inflating National Telegraph’s annual gross and net revenue. Through the scheme, Tataw admitted that he intended to defraud approximately $313,302, of which he actually obtained approximately $163,302.

Then in August 2023, law enforcement agents served Witness 1 with a federal grand-jury subpoena. In the subpoena, law enforcement instructed Witness 1 to produce records relating to Tataw, his spouse, and National Telegraph.

Tataw then met Witness 1 at a Landover, Maryland, laundromat where he gave the witness false earnings statements that purported to represent a salary National Telegraph paid her through 2021. Tataw instructed Witness 1 to give the false documents to the grand jury and testify that she was a National Telegraph employee between 2020 and 2021.

Additionally, Tataw gave Witness 1 a blank W-2 and asked her to go to a tax preparer to amend her tax filings to falsely show that she received wages from National Telegraph. As a result, Tataw corruptly acted to obstruct or impede a grand-jury proceeding.

Tataw faces a maximum of 30 years in federal prison for bank fraud. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

He is also facing a separate indictment, charging him with conspiring to provide material support to armed separatist groups in Cameroon and making threatening communications to injure or kidnap Cameroonian civilians. The case is still pending.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars.  Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended HSI, DSS, and FBI for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Wenner and Philip Motsay who are prosecuting the case, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina Hoffman and Paralegal Specialist Andrew Murray, for their valuable assistance.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.

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