Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson has announced the sentencing of Dent Hunter, a 46-year-old resident of New Orleans, for crimes related to the CARES Act. On July 8, 2025, U.S. District Judge Darrel James Papillion sentenced Hunter to five years of probation following his guilty plea to charges of making false statements and money laundering.
The CARES Act was signed into law on March 27, 2020, by the President of the United States. It provided emergency assistance through programs like the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), administered by the United States Small Business Administration (SBA).
According to court documents, Hunter made false statements on April 6, 2020, to secure a $122,100 PPP loan for a business. He also stole $149,900 from the SBA using an application under NexLevel ONE Realty’s name on July 22, 2020. The funds were used for purchasing two motor vehicles for family members.
In addition to probation, Hunter must pay over $1 million in restitution to the SBA and complete 400 hours of community service. A mandatory special assessment fee of $200 was also imposed.
For further details on the Department of Justice’s pandemic response or to report COVID-19 fraud allegations, visit their website or contact their hotline.
The case was investigated by an agent from the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Fraud Task Force. The PRAC aims to ensure transparency and oversight in federal COVID-19 spending exceeding $5 trillion.
Simpson commended the efforts of both the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs – Office of Inspector General and Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation in this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Rivera led the prosecution.
