DETROIT, MI — Marc Andrew Martin, 46, of Detroit, has been sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for his role in a multi-million dollar fraud scheme involving COVID-19 relief loans, federal prosecutors announced.
Martin was sentenced on Wednesday in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. In addition to prison time, he was ordered to serve three years of supervised release and pay $659,152 in restitution after pleading guilty in March to conspiracy to commit fraud.
Though Martin faced a potential maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine, the court imposed a lighter sentence based on plea agreements and cooperation.
The case centers around a $14.5 million Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) fraud scheme, one of the largest in Western Pennsylvania, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Authorities say Martin helped refer fraudulent loan applications during 2020 and 2021, working with others to submit falsified PPP applications on behalf of hundreds of small businesses in Detroit and Pittsburgh. The Small Business Administration (SBA) ultimately approved 226 applications, resulting in over $14 million in relief funds issued fraudulently.
The scheme exploited the PPP program, which was created to provide emergency financial assistance to businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, the funds were misused or redirected under false pretenses.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
