Winston-Salem Man Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud

Winston-Salem, NC – JAVAR LAJUAN CLARK of Winston-Salem, NC pled guilty today to one count of wire fraud for fraudulently obtaining an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) authorized under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act and administered by the Small Business Association (“SBA”), announced United States Attorney Sandra Hairston.

According to court documents, CLARK applied for an EIDL loan for a business called “Handy Works by J Clark.” The loan application falsified the business’s gross revenues and number of employees. Based on CLARK’s fraudulent representations, the SBA granted CLARK an EIDL loan of $130,500 and an advance of $10,000. Following disbursement of the loan, CLARK used the proceeds on trips to Las Vegas and New York City, jewelry, and a house.

Sentencing is scheduled to take place on August 1, 2023, at 3:00 p.m. in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, courtroom number two, before United States District Judge Thomas D. Schroeder. At sentencing, CLARK faces a maximum sentence of twenty years in prison, a period of supervised release of up to three years, and monetary penalties. As part of his plea agreement, CLARK also agreed to forfeit the property purchased using the fraudulently obtained funds.

The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration is investigating the case, and it is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Waid.

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