Michelle Denise McIntyre, a 34-year-old woman from Tallassee, Alabama, has been sentenced to nine and a half years in federal prison for wire fraud and money laundering related to pandemic relief scams, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Alabama announced on Friday.
McIntyre admitted to submitting fraudulent applications to obtain grants through the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF), a program administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA). In December 2019, she falsely claimed to operate a catering business and submitted fabricated receipts and tax records to support her request for federal funding. As a result, the SBA awarded her $131,478.76, which McIntyre then spent on personal expenses, including the purchase of a vehicle.
In addition to her own fraudulent application, McIntyre also submitted false claims for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL). She ran a scheme charging upfront fees to file relief applications on behalf of others, regardless of their eligibility, and took a percentage of the proceeds if the applications were successful.
Altogether, McIntyre caused losses exceeding $700,000. If all her fraudulent applications had been approved, the SBA would have suffered more than $14 million in additional losses.
“Exploiting SBA’s RRF and COVID relief programs for personal gain is a serious offense that diverts critical resources away from legitimate small businesses in need,” said SBA OIG’s Eastern Region Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite. “I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and pursuit of justice.”
