Business partners accused of fraud and face up to 75 years in prison

NOXUBEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) -Two business partners in Columbus could face up to 75 years in prison and fines of more than 2 million dollars after being accused of sending in fraudulent documentation in PPP Loans.

Jabari Edwards and Antwann Richardson are also accused of using the money to gift friends and family and even making donations to Jackson State University.

In 2020 the CARES Act offered businesses loans to help them make payroll during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The program was known as the Paycheck Protection Program.

Business partners of J-5 in Columbus are being accused of filing false information over these PPP Loans.

Macon Attorney Rod Hickman says many businesses that gave the right information are safe but facing charges like this is common when giving false documents to the government.

“Now the government is investigating all of this and people who are submitting fraudulent documents and there are some charges they will have to face because they basically defrauded the government. However legitimate businesses that received the loans and had legitimate businesses who used the loans for the proper categorical expenses that they could use it for that have already been forgiven,” said Hickman.

When documentation is sent to the government Hickman says the paperwork may not be looked over immediately but over time, the information will be closely examined.

“There’s another set of people who submitted fraudulent documents to get the loan and also submitted fraudulent documents to have the loans forgiven and the government who at some point, in my opinion, look through all of that information and bring the proper charges,” said Hickman.

Richardson and Edwards are accused of giving some of that money, meant to pay staff, to friends, family, and even Jackson State University.

That raises the question: if someone does receive money under circumstances like that, are they expected – or required – to return it.

“You have to look at it like this, if that was the case everyone who received a dollar from a fraudulent paycheck protection program funding would then have to give that back whether you purchase a car from that or you purchase goods from your grocery store, that money would have to be given back and the government would not put the onus on individuals to see where every dollar came from,” said Hickman.

And Hickman believes if they had no intention of committing a crime they are more than likely innocent.

“So typically if an individual was not part of the fraud and did not have any knowledge of fraud they’ll be safe and they won’t have to worry about any ramifications that happened through this process,” said Hickman.

Jabari Edwards and Antwann Richardson are only charged at this point. The case is still under investigation.

Other arrests and charges are also possible.