A woman from St. Louis County, Missouri, admitted on Tuesday to fraudulently obtaining five pandemic relief loans totaling $104,163.
Camille N. Foster, 32, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to two counts of wire fraud. Between May 2020 and November 2021, she secured five Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans intended to aid small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Foster submitted applications for three businesses: Humble Hearts Home Healthcare LLC, Embellished Jewels LLC, and Muse Me Boutique LLC. She falsified payroll and annual income details on these applications, despite the businesses not being operational at the time. Foster also submitted fraudulent tax forms to support her claims. Each loan application requested approximately $20,000. In one instance, for Muse Me Boutique, she used another individual’s name and Social Security number without their knowledge or consent.
The lenders approved the applications based on Foster’s false representations, depositing the loan amounts into her bank accounts. She spent the funds on personal expenses, including retail purchases, dining, cosmetic surgery, bill payments, travel, tax payments, and payments to others. Additionally, Foster submitted fraudulent loan forgiveness applications, falsely claiming she used the funds primarily for payroll.
Foster, also known as Foster-Nunley, is set to be sentenced on July 18. The crime is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. She has also consented to a $104,163 money judgment.
The FBI led the investigation into the case, which is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow.
