Tampa Republic

Crystal Denean Harvell, a 37-year-old resident of Jacksonville, Florida, has pleaded guilty to charges involving a line of credit scheme and COVID relief fraud through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The announcement was made by United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg. Harvell faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each count and will be required to pay restitution to her victims and the U.S. government. Additionally, she has agreed to forfeit $20,415 linked to the wire fraud offense involving COVID relief fraud. A sentencing date is yet to be determined.

Court documents reveal that from February 2016 through September 2019, Harvell and her co-conspirators obtained Social Security numbers (SSNs) of others and recruited individuals to secure lines of credit at various businesses using these SSNs. They then acquired jewelry and other merchandise through these fraudulent lines of credit, which Harvell resold on social media platforms.

In April 2021, Harvell submitted a PPP loan application falsely claiming she operated her own business. She provided false statements about her purported gross income and expenses associated with this non-existent business. Supporting her application with a falsified IRS Form 1040 - Profit or Loss From Business, she received a PPP loan totaling $20,415 based on these misrepresentations.

Harvell used the PPP loan proceeds for personal expenses after they were deposited into her bank account. In October 2021, she submitted a PPP loan forgiveness application containing further false representations, claiming over $18,000 spent on payroll costs and asserting that the funds were used solely for eligible purposes. Based on these false claims, the SBA forgave the entire loan plus accrued interest.

The investigation was conducted by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Secret Service – Jacksonville Field Office. Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein is prosecuting the case while Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer M. Harrington handles asset forfeiture proceedings.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to enhance efforts against pandemic-related fraud by coordinating resources across government agencies.

For more information on combating pandemic-related fraud or reporting allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 relief programs can be found at Justice.gov/Coronavirus or by contacting the Department of Justice's National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline via their Web Complaint Form.