COLUMBUS – Two Central Ohio women have been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges they fraudulently pocketed nearly $3 million in Covid-relief funds.
Lorie Schaefer, of Westerville, allegedly received nearly $1.9 million from the Paycheck Protection Program by falsely claiming an affiliation with a family-owned pizza company that operates in the Dayton area.
The Paycheck Protection Program is a pandemic-era federal loan program intended to help businesses continue paying their workers.
Schaefer, 62, allegedly claimed affiliation with the Flying Pizza restaurants in Dayton, Centerville and Fairborn and, when they learned of the PPP loan, owners of the family-run business said their restaurants could not justify such a large loan, according to a release from the office of U.S. Attorney Kenneth Parker.
Schaefer also is accused of helping 42-year-old Latisha Holloway, of Reynoldsburg, in fraudulently receiving more than $980,000 in loans. Holloway allegedly claimed to own a business called Jaguar Logistics, LLC, claiming on loan application documents that she had 76 employees.
The two face up to 30 years in prison for wire fraud and money laundering.