News Summary
Carnisha Maurica Rogers, a 30-year-old woman from Jacksonville, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and false representation of a Social Security number. Rogers’ fraudulent activities involved acquiring stolen Social Security numbers to secure lines of credit, which she used to buy luxury items. She falsely applied for a Paycheck Protection Program loan, misrepresenting her business operations. Federal investigators confirmed that her business did not exist, and she faces significant prison time and restitution for her actions.
Jacksonville – On June 2, 2025, Carnisha Maurica Rogers, a 30-year-old woman from Jacksonville, pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud and false representation of a Social Security number in connection with fraudulent activities related to the COVID-19 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The plea was made in federal court and subsequently confirmed by the Department of Justice (DOJ).
The charges against Rogers stem from a series of fraudulent actions that began as early as November 2017. She conspired with others to acquire Social Security numbers (SSNs) from unsuspecting individuals. Using these stolen SSNs, Rogers recruited others to obtain lines of credit at numerous businesses. The fraudulently acquired lines of credit were used to purchase luxury items, such as jewelry, which were then sold for profit on various social media platforms.
In May 2021, Rogers applied for a PPP loan through a Small Business Administration (SBA) approved lender. Her application falsely indicated that she was operating a legitimate business. To support her claims, she submitted a fabricated IRS Form 1040 with manipulated figures reflecting her business’s operating expenses, gross income, and wage expenditures. This fraudulent submission led to the approval of a PPP loan totaling $20,832, which Rogers diverted for her personal use rather than for any business-related expenses.
Further investigation by the DOJ revealed that the business Rogers claimed to operate did not exist. In October 2021, after misrepresenting her business expenses, she applied for forgiveness of the PPP loan, falsely stating that she had spent over $18,000 on payroll costs and that the funds were utilized solely for lawful purposes. The SBA granted forgiveness for the entire loan amount along with accrued interest based on her misleading assertions.
Rogers was federally indicted on these charges in October 2024. She could face severe repercussions, with potential penalties of up to 20 years in federal prison for each count of wire fraud and a maximum of 5 years for the SSN-related charge. In addition to potential prison time, Rogers agreed to pay restitution to the government and any victims affected by her fraud schemes. She also agreed to forfeit the entire PPP loan amount of $20,832 that she had wrongfully received.
While a sentencing date for Rogers has yet to be set, she is already facing state charges concerning organized fraud. These state allegations are part of a separate investigation where she is accused of exploiting Walmart’s self-checkout registers. Court documents indicate that, in July 2024, Rogers collected around $21,000 in refunds through fraudulent activities at Walmart, along with an additional $1,500 in Georgia.
The ongoing legal challenges faced by Rogers reflect a broader trend of fraudulent activities related to the federal PPP loan program, which was designed to support small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The DOJ has been actively pursuing cases of fraud connected to the program to protect the integrity of the funds meant to assist struggling businesses.
This case highlights both the serious consequences of fraud and the commitment of federal and state authorities to address and penalize deceptive practices that undermine trust in economic aid programs.
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Additional Resources
- Jacksonville.com: Woman Pleads to Credit Fraud
- News4Jax: Woman Pleads Guilty to Credit Scheme
- Action News Jax: Man Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud
- Wikipedia: COVID-19 Paycheck Protection Program
- Black Enterprise: Florida Scammer PPP Loan Fraud
- Google Search: Paycheck Protection Program fraud