Baton Rouge Tax Preparer Sentenced to 33 Months for Pandemic Benefits Fraud Scheme

United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles sentenced Pamela Albert, age 51, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 33 months in federal prison following her conviction for wire fraud.  The Court further sentenced Albert to serve three years of supervised release following her term of imprisonment and ordered her to pay $223,180 in restitution.

Between approximately March and June 2021, Albert submitted false claims for Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loans in her name and in the names of others.  Albert also submitted fraudulent tax documents for her PPP loan claims, that were based on fictitious business profits and losses.  Albert maintained various bank accounts in which PPP funds were deposited.  

Throughout her scheme, Albert obtained the personally identifiable information of others, such as names, birth dates, and Social Security numbers in order to file her false PPP loan claims.  Albert requested that PPP benefits be wired to her bank accounts, totaling over $200,000 in funds to which she and others were not entitled.  Upon submitting the claims and receiving the funds, Albert either gave a portion of the funds to others or kept all the funds for herself.  

This matter was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Edward H. Warner.