Romeoville man charged with obtaining more than $30,000 in Paycheck Protection Program loans

A Romeoville man has been charged with fraudulently obtaining more than $30,000 in Paycheck Protection Program loans and more than $4,600 in an unemployment benefits.

On Tuesday, Will County Judge Brian Barrett signed a warrant for the arrest of Antwon McMahan, 26, on charges of theft by deception, theft, wife fraud and state benefits fraud.

A criminal complaint alleged McMahan received a $12,187 PPP loan on March 2, 2021 by falsely representing his business had an average monthly payroll of $87,000.

McMahan was further accused in the complaint of receiving a $17,915 PPP loan on April 9, 2021 by falsely claiming his business had an average monthly payroll of $7,166.

McMahan was charged with receiving $2,308 in an unemployment benefits between February and March 2021, as well as $2,308 in unemployment benefits in April 2021.

The criminal complaint alleged McMahan was not entitled to those benefits because he received PPP loans for a business that was presumably active.

McMahan is among the latest defendants who’ve been charged with PPP loan fraud in Will County.

At a press conference on Wednesday, Joliet Police Chief William Evans announced 15 people have been arrested thus far in an ongoing investigation of PPP loan fraud and 10 more people have warrants for their arrest.

Some of those suspects accused of stealing PPP loan money have used it to bond their way out of jail, according to Joliet Police Detective James Kilgore.

In Steger, three men — two of whom are registered sex offenders — have been charged with fraudulently received PPP loans as well.