Date: 03-29-2024

Case Style:

United States of America v. Malcolm Andre Jones

Case Number:

Judge: Gregory K. Frizzell

Court: The United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma

Plaintiff's Attorney: The United States Attorney’s Office for Mobile

Defendant's Attorney:

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Description:

Tulsa, OK criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with Wire Fraud and Lying to the Court.

Man Sentenced for Wire Fraud and Received Sentence Enhancement for Lying to the Court

U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Malcolm Andre Jones, 32, of Broken Arrow, to 27 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release for Wire Fraud. Judge Frizzell further ordered Jones to pay $20,665 in restitution.

According to the plea agreement, Jones admitted to submitting a false and fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan application. Jones's application to the Small Business Association stated that he owned a landscaping business and that all loan proceeds would be used for that business. However, Jones did not own a landscaping business. He admitted to using the funds to pay bills and purchase a couch and an automobile. Jones used the funds and then had them forgiven.

After pleading guilty and while being on pretrial bond, Jones lied to probation officers, the government, and his attorney about significant matters during the presentence investigation. Jones submitted a forged college diploma, claiming he received a master’s degree in college. He stated that he was undergoing chemotherapy for kidney cancer and had more than $500k in debt. Jones went as far as lying about serving in the military. In court filings, Jones described deployments in detail and claimed he suffered from PTSD because a friend supposedly died in front of him. He presented fake military paperwork claiming he had been honorably discharged and received a Medal of Honor and Purple Heart, despite not having served in the military at all.

Jones received an enhanced sentence for obstruction of justice.

Jones was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.

The Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, U.S. Small Business Administration, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and Department of Defense – Defense Criminal Investigative Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ammon Brisolara and Kristen Harrington prosecuted the case.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Justice Department 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 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 www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

Outcome:

Defendant was found guilty and sentenced to 27 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release for Wire Fraud. Judge Frizzell further ordered Jones to pay $20,665 in restitution.

Plaintiff's Experts:

Defendant's Experts:

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