CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — A Charlotte woman pleaded guilty Wednesday to conspiring to commit wire fraud for frequently obtaining over $100,000 in COVID-19 relief funds, U.S. District Attorney Dena King announced.
According to court documents, 25-year-old Yesenia Rodriguez was part of a conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Small Business Administration by obtaining an Economic Injury Disaster Loan based on false information.
Prosecutor said Rodriguez admitted in court that from April 2020 to May 2021, she conspired with another person to obtain COVID relief funds, including two loans under the EIDL program and unemployment benefits totaling over $100,000.
Plea documents showed that she submitted a fraudulent EIDL application in July 2020 for a hair and nail salon named Yesenia Rodriguez.
Officials said Rodriguez had recently left her job at a national bank and did not own a hair salon. She was instead collecting unemployment.
As a result of the application, Rodriguez was given $37,500 in relief funding. Her alleged coconspirator, who the court identified as “G.R.” is accused of fraudulently obtaining EIDL funding totaling $47,500 for another business.
Prosecutors said G.R.’s business was a real, operating company, but accused them of submitting a fraudulent application that falsely represented its eligibility for funding.
Officials said Rodriguez and G.R. obtained at least $112,000 in disaster relief funds.
Rodriguez’s conspiracy charge carries a maximum prison term of 5 years and a $250,000 fine, prosecutors said. A sentencing date has not been set.
Officials did not address any pending charges against her alleged co-conspirator.