3 more people in Will County charged with Paycheck Protection Program loan fraud

Three more people in Will County have been arrested in connection with an ongoing investigation of Paycheck Protection Program fraud.

Since June 15, at least 10 people have been arrested on charges alleging that they committed fraud involving the Paycheck Protection Program that was established by the federal government to financially support businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prosecutors dropped charges against one of those defendants, Donta Bailey, 19, of Joliet.

The latest defendants charged with fraudulently obtaining PPP loans are Jarvis Perkins, 37, Adrian Clark, 34, and Victoria Orasco, 27, all of Joliet.

Perkins was taken to the Will County jail July 20, while Clark and Orasco were jailed Wednesday and Thursday.

Joliet police Sgt. Dwayne English declined to provide further details about these cases because the investigation is ongoing and involves other law enforcement agencies.

In a criminal complaint, prosecutors alleged that between March 18, 2021, and March 26, 2021, Perkins fraudulently received a $20,832 loan by claiming his sole proprietor business had a gross revenue of $144,460 in 2019.

Prosecutors alleged that Perkins fraudulently represented in his application that he was not under criminal prosecution when he was “under indictment for armed habitual criminal” in a 2020 case in Will County.

In that case, Perkins initially was charged with being an armed habitual criminal, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and aggravated fleeing.

On Jan. 11, 2021, Perkins pleaded guilty to aggravated fleeing while prosecutors dropped the other two charges, court records show. He was sentenced to serve 50% of a three-year prison sentence, and he was credited with 133 days already served in jail.

Prosecutors further alleged that between Oct. 21, w2020, and March 2, 2021, Perkins received $4,038 in unemployment benefits in Illinois while he still was in the Will County jail and not eligible to receive that money.

Prosecutors also accused Perkins of receiving unemployment benefits from Indiana at the same time.

Between April 11, 2021, and April 20, 2021, Clark was accused by prosecutors of receiving a $20,833 PPP loan by falsely claiming his sole proprietor business had a gross revenue of $109,763 in 2019.

Prosecutors charged Clark with receiving that loan while he was indicted in a 2021 case in Will County, which still is pending in court.

Clark is charged in that case with unlawfully possessing a .45-caliber handgun after he was convicted of a previous felony. He’s also charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, obstructing a police officer, resisting a police officer and fleeing from an officer.

Prosecutors alleged that Orasco received a PPP loan worth $20,833 by falsely claiming her sole proprietor business had a gross revenue of $106,000 in 2019.

Orasco also was accused by prosecutors of receiving the loan even though she was facing charges of armed violence in a 2019 case in Will County. That case still is pending. Orasco was charged with possessing a 9 mm handgun and possessing cocaine with intent to deliver.