A former Louisiana resident, Sharnae Every, age 30, has been sentenced to over three years in prison for her role in a scheme involving more than 110 fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans totaling over $1.1 million. Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced the sentencing, which took place on October 9, 2025.
The investigation began after the COVID-19 Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) flagged suspicious PPP loan activity in the Thibodeaux, Louisiana area. Authorities discovered that at least 110 sole proprietor loan applications contained identical invoices and tax forms under the same business name and amounts.
Court documents revealed that Every created a fake business called “Natural Hair Afro, LLC” in Houma, Louisiana. She used this entity on nearly all of the fraudulent loan applications and recruited individuals through Facebook advertisements using various aliases. Every prepared and submitted false PPP applications via online platforms such as Blueacorn, fabricating supporting documents including invoices and bank statements. She falsely certified the accuracy of these applications before submitting them electronically.
Every charged those she recruited between $45 and $120 to prepare their fraudulent applications, primarily collecting initial payments through Cash App. Once loans were funded, she demanded about $3,500 from each recipient, depositing funds into her own accounts or those of her boyfriend.
United States District Judge Carl J. Barbier sentenced Every to 41 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and imposed a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
In response to pandemic-related fraud nationwide, the Department of Justice established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force on May 17, 2021. The task force coordinates efforts across agencies to investigate and prosecute pandemic relief fraud and works with groups like PRAC’s Fraud Task Force—comprised of agents from multiple Inspectors General—to oversee federal spending programs related to COVID-19 relief (https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus).
The case was investigated by an agent assigned to PRAC’s Fraud Task Force with assistance from several federal and local law enforcement agencies including the Veterans Administration Office of Inspector General; U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General; Homeland Security Investigations; United States Secret Service’s Cyber Fraud Task Force; Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office; Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office; Thibodeaux Police Department; and Louisiana Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorneys Brian M. Klebba and Edward Rivera prosecuted the case.
Anyone with information about attempted COVID-19 relief fraud is encouraged to contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or submit a report online (https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form).
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