Texas bar owner accused in PPP loan scam
A Texas bar owner has been charged with one count of wire fraud for fraudently obtaining funds under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Keith Anton Johnson received $123,500 in Payroll Protection Program (PPP) funds, despite being ineligible due to a criminal indictment in a separate case, per the Department of Justice.
Johnson is said to have been part of a group that owned and operated KJR Entertainment Holdings LLC from January 2020 through July 2020, according to the charges. The LLC's primary holding was Southerners, a bar and live music venue in Bryan.
"Johnson allegedly submitted required payroll information purporting to be that of current employees to justify the basis for a PPP loan," according to the indictment. "On these forms, he allegedly attested to an employee’s current status when, in fact, the one-time employee had quit in January 2020."
Read more: https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Texas-bar-owner-accused-of-fraudulently-receiving-16043883.php