PPP Fraud Case Reports Collusion Between Loan Broker and IRS Supervisor

In a PPP scheme that saw twenty-two people get brought up on charges like conspiracy and wire fraud, a federal indictment also alleges collusion between a Supervisory Individual Tax Advisory Specialist with the IRS named Melissa Myrick, and an Atlanta business loan broker named Mark Mason, who was president of Atlanta Business Capital.

According to the DOJ, Mason and Myrick worked together to falsify PPP applications by leaving sections like average monthly payroll and number of employees blank. Between May 12 and May 26 of 2020, Myrick signed off on over $280,000 in altered loan applications while also being an active employee with the IRS.

The indictment also says that merchants who received the funding were in on the scam. “Purported business owners communicated with Mason about the fraudulent PPP loan applications, as well as the amounts to include on the Forms 941 and purported payroll spreadsheets submitted with the applications.” 

Mason pleaded guilty on January 4 to one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering in connection with his involvement with the PPP fraud mentioned in the indictment.

The report claims that on top of altering documents to get the government-backed funds, Mason charged ‘success fees’ to the merchants he was working with. While pleading guilty, Mason admitted to funneling fraudulent deals totaling between $3.5M and $9.5M

Mason seemed to attract clients with notoriety onto his scam. Public figures mentioned in the indictment include actress Ion Overman who appeared in Desperate Housewives, music producer Carlos “Clos” Stephens who has worked with hip-hop guru Master P, and actor Dale Godboldo who appeared in The People v. O.J. Simpson.