A woman from St. Peters, Missouri on Tuesday admitted fraudulently obtaining a total of $237,000 from two pandemic assistance programs.
Regina Brand, 52, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk to one felony wire fraud charge. She admitted submitting at least 12 fraudulent applications for rental assistance under the Missouri State Assistance for Housing Relief Program to the Missouri Housing Development Commission between Sept. 1, 2021, and at least June 30, 2022. The program was intended to provide emergency assistance to landlords and renters to prevent a wave of evictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Brand admitted fraudulently listing “Angels Voices” or “Brand Construction” as the landlords and submitting fraudulent lease agreements to support the applications. Brand received $96,825.
Brand also admitted submitting four fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program loan applications between April 1, 2020, and at least August 25, 2021, again in the name of Angels Voices or Brand Construction. Brand made false representations on the applications, including when listing the average monthly payroll and the number of employees employed by the companies. Based on the misrepresentations on the loan applications, PPP lenders wired a total of $140,261 to Brand’s bank accounts.
Brand is scheduled to be sentenced on November 15. The wire fraud charges carry a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. She will also be ordered to repay the money.
The case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman is prosecuting the case.
