Tonya R. Winston, a 60-year-old resident of South Bend, Indiana, has been sentenced to 52 months in federal prison after being convicted on charges related to wire fraud and theft of government money. The sentencing was handed down by United States District Court Judge Cristal C. Brisco following Winston’s conviction by a jury in August.
Winston was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud, and one count of theft of government money. She will also serve two years of supervised release after her prison term and has been ordered to pay $453,808.48 in restitution.
According to court documents, Winston engaged in a scheme to obtain loans fraudulently through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which was designed as a COVID-19 relief measure for small businesses. She submitted false loan applications for herself and assisted others in doing the same. Additionally, she acquired local housing benefits by misrepresenting her financial situation.
The investigation into Winston’s activities was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development-Office of Inspector General, and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation. The prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorneys Luke N. Reilander and Joel Gabrielse.
Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor announced the sentencing.
