Former lawyer sentenced to 7 years in prison for stealing $15 million from PPP

A judge sentenced former Atlanta deputy city attorney Shelitha Robertson to seven years and three months in prison for stealing about $15 million in loans from the government-funded Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) .

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia announced Robertson's punishment following her sentencing on December 19, 2023. A jury found her guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, three counts of electronic fraud and one count of money laundering. U.S. District Judge Steven D. Grimberg also sentenced her to three years of supervised release following her prison term.

“Motivated by greed, Robertson deceptively obtained funds intended to provide emergency financial assistance to struggling small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said United States Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute criminals who stole pandemic relief funds. »

Robertson used the money she received to buy luxury items, including a 10-carat diamond ring. She and her co-conspirator, Chandra Norton, submitted false tax documents to support the false statements of each of the four companies listed on the application. Robertson used the loan proceeds to purchase luxury items, including a 10-carat diamond ring. She also transferred funds to Norton and his family members.

“I'm completely broke. My business is gone. My (legal) license has disappeared. My assets are gone. The only thing I have left is my family and my faith in God,” she declared in court before learning her sentence, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Robertson will serve her sentence minus the six months she has already spent in custody since her conviction in December.

The PPP was a federal stimulus program authorized under the Coronavirus

Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

Authorities have seized more than $78 million in cash from more than 192 fraud defendants in more than 121 criminal cases involving fraudulently obtained PPP funds. Many real estate and luxury items purchased with these funds were also confiscated.

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