Atlanta Man Arrested in Connection with More than $3 Million CARES Act Fraud Scheme

ATLANTA - Ian Patrick Jackson, 37, of Atlanta, Ga., appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Regina D. Cannon today, following his arrest on federal charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. Jackson was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 6, 2025.                      

“Jackson’s arrest caps a lengthy investigation that involved multiple defendants and more than $3 million in stolen funds intended to help struggling Americans during a national health crisis,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “These charges demonstrate our office’s commitment to collaborate closely with our law enforcement partners to prosecute fraudsters who pilfered CARES Act funds.”

“Ian Jackson took advantage of government programs meant to support American businesses struggling during a national emergency and world-wide pandemic,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s charges reveal that Jackson was the mastermind behind numerous schemes, utilizing a variety of fraudulent tools and techniques, to lie to the SBA. The Criminal Division will continue to investigate and prosecute those responsible for stealing taxpayers’ money during a crisis.”

“While hard-working small business owners were looking for lifelines to save their businesses from financial ruin, the defendant and his conspirators were scheming to steal the very funds made available to them through SBA’s pandemic response programs,” said SBA-OIG Deputy Inspector General Sheldon Shoemaker. “I want to thank the Department of Justice, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and pursuit of justice.”

“Lying to gain access to economic stimulus funds for personal gain will be met with justice,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “FBI special agents will persist in unraveling the often-complex CARES Act fraud schemes and bring criminals to justice.”

According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Ian Patrick Jackson allegedly conspired with another Atlanta man to solicit, recruit, and direct at least nine business owners to submit fraudulent PPP loan applications using fabricated tax documents. Jackson and his co-conspirator allegedly directed the business owners to falsely claim in their PPP applications that each business employed 16 individuals and paid monthly wages of $120,000. Each of the nine business owners received $300,000 in PPP funds.  After they received the funds, the business owners wrote “payroll” checks to individuals who did not work for their businesses and then either kept the money for themselves or gave the money to a co-conspirator, who in turn provided a share to Jackson. 

In addition to his alleged role in the conspiracy, Jackson is also charged in connection with three other alleged schemes to submit fraudulent PPP or EIDL applications, having allegedly: (1) applied for a fraudulent $237,500 PPP loan using fabricated tax forms and a doctored bank statement; (2) used a forged Georgia’s driver’s license to fraudulently apply for approximately $100,000 in EIDL and PPP loans using false revenue statements; and (3) fraudulently obtained a $240,035 PPP loan and $125,000 in EIDL loans and grants. All these loans were funded.  Jackson allegedly spent the PPP and EIDL loan proceeds on checks made payable to fictitious individuals and to pay for personal expenses, including restaurant dining, spa services, phone and credit card payments, a vacation in Aruba, and cash withdrawals. 

 Jackson is charged with one count conspiracy to commit bank fraud, two counts of bank fraud, two counts of wire fraud, and two counts of money laundering. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison on the conspiracy and bank fraud counts and 20 years in prison for the wire fraud and money laundering counts.   

In determining the actual sentence, the Court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders.

Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

This case is being investigated by the Small Business Association - Office of the Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Special Assistant United States Attorney Diane C. Schulman and Department of Justice Criminal Division Trial Attorney Matthew Reilly are prosecuting the case. Former Assistant United States Attorney Christopher J. Huber also assisted in the investigation and prosecution of this case.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6280. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.