Woodbridge Residents Ordered to Pay $336,356 for Defrauding the Paycheck Protection Program

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – On September 7, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia entered a judgment that ordered Bernice Suppey, 40, and Kwaku Adubofour, 42, of Woodbridge, to pay $336,356 based on their fraudulent applications for multiple loans through the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

“The Paycheck Protection Program has been a critical lifeline to small businesses and workers during the COVID-19 crisis,” said U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber. “EDVA is committed to using all enforcement tools – both civil and criminal – to hold accountable anyone who took advantage of the program for personal gain.”

“This recovery is a direct result of the concerted efforts of SBA and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia to investigate claims of fraud in SBA’s COVID-relief programs and to recover funds lost through fraud from individuals and companies that engage in such activities,” said SBA’s General Counsel, Therese Meers.

The PPP offered loans to eligible small businesses for economic relief during the COVID-19 pandemic. PPP borrowers were required to provide their income and supporting documents to calculate and confirm the loan amount. 

Suppey and Adubofour obtained four PPP loans by submitting applications with inflated income and fabricated tax documents to SBA-authorized lenders. Based on these fraudulent applications, the Court found Suppey and Adubofour liable for violating the False Claims Act, conspiring to violate the False Claims Act, and for violating the Financial Institutions Reform, Recover, and Enforcement Act (FIRREA).

The outcome in the case was the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and the Small Business Administration’s Office of Litigation. 

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Hochul III and Kristin Starr. 

The case caption is United States v. Suppey, No. 1:22-cv-00279-CMH-IDD. A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.