Kisha Sutton, a 45-year-old resident of Jersey City, New Jersey, has been sentenced to two years in prison for her role in a COVID-19 bank fraud and money laundering scheme. The sentencing took place on January 15, 2026, and includes five years of supervised release and an order to pay $184,014.04 in restitution.
Sutton was found guilty by a federal jury on July 15, 2025, after a two-day trial. Evidence presented showed that Sutton and her co-defendant Shamiese Wright worked together to secure a fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan worth $15,625 for Wright. The loan was guaranteed by the Small Business Administration under the CARES Act. As part of their plan, Sutton received $3,000 from the PPP funds.
According to trial evidence, Sutton submitted the PPP application for Wright on April 19, 2021. The application claimed that Wright was self-employed with $75,000 in gross income for 2020 and included an IRS Form 1040 Schedule C reflecting this income. However, it was shown that Wright had never been self-employed or earned such income; she had received unemployment benefits in 2020 instead. The tax form submitted with the application was found to be fraudulent.
A lender based in Florida approved the application and deposited the funds into Wright’s personal account in Charleston on May 7, 2021. Between May 7 and May 21 of that year, Wright transferred $3,000 to Sutton using a digital wallet app while disguising payment descriptions to hide the source of funds.
The CARES Act established forgivable PPP loans for eligible sole proprietors and self-employed individuals affected by COVID-19 disruptions. Applicants were required to show proof of operation as of February 15, 2020 and provide documentation verifying prior income.
Both Sutton and Wright were indicted as part of a broader conspiracy involving fraudulent PPP loans totaling $140,625. In addition to Wright—who is from Charleston—three other defendants pleaded guilty and were ordered collectively to pay over $65,000 in restitution.
United States Attorney Moore Capito acknowledged investigative efforts by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), West Virginia State Police – Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), and West Virginia State Auditor’s Office Public Integrity and Fraud Unit (PIFU). United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Prosecutors included Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan T. Storage and Jennifer D. Gordon along with former Assistant U.S. Attorney Holly Wilson.
“Individuals with information about allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.”
Additional details about this case can be accessed through PACER by searching Case No. 2:24-cr-192.