Suffolk D.A.: Two Internal Revenue Service employees plead guilty in COVID-19 scam

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced on Feb. 23 that Tina White, 36, of Bellport, and Shawana Williams, 45, of Centereach, each pleaded guilty to unlawfully receiving thousands of dollars for filing separate, fraudulent Small Business Administration loan applications.

“At a time where people were falling ill to COVID-19 and struggling financially, these two U.S. government employees abused a system designed to assist small businesses in order to line their own pockets,” said District Attorney Tierney. “I want to thank the United States Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration for working with my office to investigate and prosecute those who would steal taxpayer funds.”

According to the investigation and the defendants’ admissions during their guilty plea allocutions, on May 7, 2020, and July 6, 2020, respectively, White and Williams each filed COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan applications with the Small Business Administration in which they each claimed to be the owners of businesses in need of financial assistance due to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

White claimed to be the Chief Operating Officer of an agricultural business, and Williams claimed to be the Chief Operating Officer of a medical services business. However, neither business existed. White received $6,000 and Williams received $4,000 as initial cash advancements while their respective loan applications were being processed. Both loan applications were ultimately denied, but White and Williams never returned the money they unlawfully received.

On December 21, 2023, Tina White pleaded guilty before Acting County Court Judge, the Honorable James McDonaugh, to Petit Larceny, a Class A misdemeanor. White paid restitution in the amount of $6,000, and was sentenced on December 21, 2023 to a conditional discharge.

On February 23, 2024, Shawana Williams pleaded guilty before Judge McDonaugh to Falsifying Business Records in the Second Degree and Petit Larceny, both Class A misdemeanors. She paid restitution in the amount of $4,000, and was sentenced on February 23, 2024 to a conditional discharge.

Both White and Williams were represented by Michael Brown, Esq.

These cases were prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Katharine D’Aquila of the Public Corruption Bureau.