No name, no problem; 2 charged with COVID-19 scheme didn’t name business that received relief

Two accused of fraud didn’t bother naming the business they claimed to own. Another claimed to own a limited liability corporation, but the LLC wasn’t created until after he got his money, according to court records.

Despite the glaring omissions and deficiencies in their applications, six people obtained more than $10,000 in COVID-19 relief funds – and those are just the ones charged in La Salle County, according to court records.

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Gabriel Myart (Photo provided by La Salle Count)

Newly-unsealed court records paint a clearer picture of how the suspects finagled the cash.

Amber N. Norman, 40, of Streator claimed to own a consulting business and falsely claimed gross income of $106,600. The false claims resulted in a paycheck protection program loan of $20,833, obtained in spring 2021, according to court records.

Amanda K. Rogers, 33, of Ottawa never identified what business she owns, La Salle County’s top prosecutor said Tuesday. That omission didn’t keep her from getting a PPP loan for $20,832, also dated in April 2021, according to court records.

Gabriel S. Myart, 36, of Glen Ellyn claimed to be a fitness trainer but the business address he provided was that of a senior living community in La Salle County. Nevertheless, he declared business losses of more than $100,000 and had a check cut for $20,832 in May of 2021, according to court records.

Larry A. Chandler, 46, of Sauk Village claimed to be a mechanic who sustained losses of more than $99,000. He, too, turned the misstatements into a government check, this one for $20,782, according to court records.

Ebony R. Green, 28, of University Park didn’t list or name the business she owned, even she claimed losses of more than $106,000. She, too, turned the false declarations into a check for $20,832, according to court records.

James Z. Forbes, 30, with ties to Streator and Marshall County. Though he’s charged with procuring the smallest figure in fraudulent claims – $10,865 obtained in 2021 – Forbes’ new charges compound some pending gun and drug charges that recently were reinstated by an appeals court.

As previously reported, La Salle County State’s Attorney Joe Navarro said cases like these are popping up statewide on the heels of probes into COVID-19 relief efforts. The Illinois Department of Revenue identified some questionable applications for aid and then tabbed state’s attorney’s offices across Illinois to probe the scams.

“The individuals you see here are the ones who came to light first,” Navarro said, indicating an easel bearing six mugshots. “It doesn’t mean the investigation is over.”

Despite the varying amounts obtained by fraud, the six local suspects face up to 15 years if convicted of theft, though each faces secondary charges of loan fraud, a Class 2 felony (three to seven years) and forgery, a Class 3 felony (two to five years).

The charges date back to 2021 but La Salle County was not slow in acting. Rather, the various scams were slow in unfolding across the state, not least because state employees were frequently found to be behind the scams. Navarro said a watchdog group identified 13 different state agencies involved, with the most state employees found to have ties to the Department of Human Services.