An erstwhile prosecutor in Atlanta has been sentenced to seven years behind bars for stealing pandemic relief funds totaling approximately $15 million.
According to the Daily Mail, a jury found former Atlanta Assistant City Attorney Shelitha Robertson guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering. The verdict stemmed from the 62-year-old prosecutor fraudulently obtaining money under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) launched during the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Robertson subsequently used the proceeds to splurge on luxuries such as a 10-carat diamond ring worth $150,000, a Rolls Royce luxury vehicle and a motorbike.
The former police officer-turned-city attorney utilized the PPP to steal taxpayer dollars alongside co-conspirator Chandra Norton by falsely claiming that she was responsible for 427 employees. To make the ruse more convincing, Robertson and Norton even submitted fake tax documents to inflate their income statements with each loan application.
Because of this, the former city attorney received millions of dollars supposedly earmarked for keeping legitimate businesses afloat through the pandemic. According to the Department of Justice, Robertson transferred funds to Norton and other family members.
But the long arm of the law eventually caught up with Robertson. U.S. District Judge Steven Grimberg of the District Court for the Northern District of Georgia sentenced her to seven years and three months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
"It was her level of direction and confidence in being able to commit this level of fraud without being detected that instigated it in the first place," the magistrate said. He also described the loss of the funds fraudulently obtained by Robertson as staggering. (Related: Biggest financial crime in America’s history: Billions of taxpayer dollars STOLEN from COVID-19 relief programs.)
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"Motivated by greed, Robertson deceptively obtained funds that were designed to provide financial relief to struggling small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic," said U.S. Attorney Ryan Buchanan.
Robertson doesn't practice what she preaches
Weeks before her sentencing, Robertson appeared on her daughter's podcast titled "Mommy and Me." She and her daughter Brii Renee advised listeners about how to deal with the world. In one episode last October, the mother-and-daughter tandem talked about how to earn money through hard work and "integrity."
"I choose integrity and whatever else it brings. I don't choose selling your soul to the devil. Because that would mean I am willing to belittle myself and degrade myself for the love of what? Of a dollar? How my kids view me and respect me means more to me than earning a quick dollar for me to be something that I'm not," Robertson said.
Her remark came as a response to her daughter asking her if she would choose integrity over poverty, and whether she would take the chance to make money quickly. But the Mail pointed out that Robertson "didn't follow her own advice and decided to make her money through deception, submitting one false loan application after another to the COVID-19 relief scheme."
Before Gimberg handed down his sentence, Robertson tried to appeal to him. "I'm dead broke. My business is gone. My [law] license is gone. My assets are gone. The only thing I have left is my family and my faith in God," she said.
Robertson also expressed remorse for the repercussions of her conduct on her family, partner and community. "I'm not that person that tries to take advantage of anybody or any situation. I've owned up to what I've done," the former city attorney continued.
But this failed to convince the magistrate to lower her sentence. By the time Robertson is released from prison to serve her supervised release, she will be almost 70.
"The defendant in this case was held accountable for fraudulently obtaining millions of dollars through the PPP and using those stolen funds to enrich herself, while small businesses were struggling during the pandemic," said Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Special Agent in Charge Kyle Myles.
"The FDIC Office [of the] Inspector General remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to pursue and bring to justice those who took advantage of such pandemic relief programs and threatened the integrity of our nation's financial institutions."
Watch Fox Business host and former National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow discussing the fraudulent spending of federal unemployment benefits.
This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.
More related stories:
Government report reveals criminals stole BILLIONS from unemployment benefits during pandemic.
Government watchdog: Over $60B lost to pandemic unemployment benefits fraud.
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