
Louisiana Woman Gets Jail Time for Stealing COVID Money for Herself
A Louisiana woman is going to jail after using thousands of dollars of government aid by splurging on jewelry and a destination wedding.
When the COVID pandemic hit our country, the U.S. Government stepped in to help businesses and, by proxy, everyday people like us in Louisiana. However, one woman in our state saw it as an opportunity to take cash for herself.
To think that in a time when everyone in America was concerned about getting COVID, hoping they would not lose their jobs or had already lost their source of income, a person would want to take advantage of the funding provided by hard-working Americans in a time of crisis.
According to WAFB, the Baton Rouge woman used the money she received from the government for things like a destination wedding. She spent $30,000 on jewelry, according to United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr.
Officials say that 47-year-old Gernesia Willams was sentenced to thirteen months in the federal lockup, and when the woman is released from prison, she will be on supervised release for three years.
Because so many small businesses were struggling, shut down, and laying off employees due to the pandemic, the government's U.S. Small Business Administration’s COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan program allowed people who would provide jobs and stimulate the economy to take out loans.
According to officials, Williams used $20,000 for a destination wedding in Florida. Overall, the prosecutor's office says the woman misused more than $100,000 of the loan from taxpayer money on herself and others.
The judge in the case ordered Williams to pay $110,030.47 in restitution. She was convicted "for knowing conversion of government funds." Williams admitted what happened during her guilty plea in court.