Suspect Admits to Wire Fraud, False Claims in Elaborate Scheme
Casie Hynes, a resident of the Mid-City area, entered a guilty plea today. She admitted to fraudulent activities that resulted in the acquisition of over $2 million in government loans intended to alleviate COVID-19-related financial strains. Additionally, she confessed to submitting falsified claims in an endeavor to secure nearly $1.3 million in pandemic-related tax credits from the IRS.
Hynes, 37, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of false claims.
Court documents reveal that between June 2020 and December 2021, Hynes perpetrated a scheme involving the submission of over 80 fraudulent applications for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) from various financial institutions and the United States Small Business Administration (SBA). These applications were filed under the names of roughly 20 companies, both pre-existing and newly formed, including entities such as Nasty Womxn Project and She Suite Collective, allegedly owned by Hynes or her associates. Employing deceitful tactics, Hynes often utilized the personal information and signatures of unwitting individuals without their consent, alongside fabricated financial documentation to support her applications.
As a result of Hynes’ fraudulent activities, banks and the SBA approved PPP and EIDL loans for these fictitious companies, disbursing the relief funds into accounts controlled by Hynes for her personal expenditures.
Hynes confessed that her actions caused an intended loss of approximately $3,174,323, with fraudulent proceeds amounting to approximately $2,255,244.
In a related scheme, Hynes utilized some of the same companies to submit counterfeit tax forms to the IRS, seeking unwarranted refunds. Over the period from May 2021 to April 2022, she submitted 12 tax forms on behalf of Nasty Womxn Project LLC, She Suite Ventures, and Casie Hynes Consulting, falsely claiming COVID-19 tax credits and refunds. These claims amounted to approximately $1,255,703, none of which were paid by the IRS.
United States District Judge Hernán D. Vera scheduled a sentencing hearing for January 30, 2025. Hynes faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for wire fraud and up to five years for false claims.
IRS Criminal Investigation led the inquiry into this matter, with Assistant United States Attorney Kristen A. Williams prosecuting the case.
Individuals with information regarding COVID-19-related fraud are encouraged to report it to the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or via the NCDF web complaint form.
