Two Peorians charged with fraud related to COVID relief, unemployment insurance

A federal grand jury has indicted two Peoria residents for alleged fraud.

The two are accused of wrongly obtaining pandemic-related and unemployment benefits through the Paycheck Protection Program. They were indicted on Tuesday, according to a news release from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois.

Andre Johnson, 25, was charged with three counts of wire fraud and one count of making a false statement. The indictment alleges the offenses occurred from May 2020 through September 2021 in Peoria County. 

Shon Smith, 33, was charged with one count of mail fraud, one count of wire fraud, and one count of making a false statement. The indictment alleges the offenses occurred from June 2020 through June 2021 in Peoria County. 

Both have been issued a summons to appear in federal court in Peoria for arraignment on April 12.

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If convicted, the maximum statutory penalty for each offense of wire fraud or mail fraud is 20 years’ imprisonment, a three-year term of supervised release, and restitution. The maximum penalty for making a false statement is five years’ imprisonment, a three-year term of supervised release, and restitution.

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