JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A former Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office of Corrections was charged Tuesday with one count of wire fraud related to COVID relief fraud through the Paycheck Protection Program.
Decona Burke, 34, faces up to 20 years in federal prison and payment of restitution to the United States government, if convicted.
Burke submitted a PPP loan application in April 2021 to a lender licensed by the Small Business Administration, according to a press release from U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg. Burke is accused of making multiple false statements regarding his alleged payroll and operating expenses, including one in which he claimed that he operated his own child care business with a gross income of $98,000, according to the news release. .
As part of his loan application, Burke is also accused of submitting a false IRS form that contained false statements about operating expenses, gross income and salary expenses for his purported business, according to the news release.
In all, Burke received $20,415. He is accused of using the money for personal expenses, including paying off a loan for a motorcycle, according to the news release.
In November 2021, Burke is accused of filing a request for PPP loan forgiveness, alleging that he had spent $20,415 on payroll. The SBA forgave the full amount of the loan.
Burke’s case is scheduled for trial in July 2023.
