RALEIGH, NC – Earl Lamont Taylor, a 52-year-old business owner from Raleigh, has pleaded guilty to bank fraud and wire fraud in connection with a fraudulent scheme that secured nearly $300,000 in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina.
The department reported that Taylor, in collaboration with Quentin Jackson and Edward Whitaker, fraudulently obtained PPP loans for two businesses: Get Me Recruited, LLC, a basketball scouting and tournament organizing company, and Changing the Game Life Coach, a life coaching business.
Details of the Scheme:
Taylor received $291,665.50 in PPP loans, falsely claiming employee salaries and business activities. He paid $72,917.24 of this amount to Whitaker for his involvement in the scheme.
Get Me Recruited, LLC had minimal business activity in 2019 and 2020, and the employees listed in the loan application testified that they earned less than $2,000 annually—much lower than the $110,145 to $128,416 salaries claimed on the application.
Changing the Game Life Coach showed no significant business activity during the relevant period, further supporting the fraudulent nature of the loan applications.
Taylor also cashed payroll checks for Jackson as part of his fraudulent scheme.
Prosecution Statement: U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley Jr. commented, “Lamont Taylor ran a business scouting players who hustled on the court, but ran his own hustle off the court, fraudulently securing over $300,000 in PPP relief funds. While most of us were trying to help our neighbors navigate a global pandemic, this talent scout and ‘life coach’ was helping himself to relief funds.”
Both Quentin Jackson and Edward Whitaker previously pled guilty to their involvement in the scheme, with Jackson pleading guilty in November 2022 and Whitaker in January 2023.
Taylor now faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.
The case serves as a reminder of the severe consequences for those who exploit the PPP program meant to provide financial relief to businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
