Travis Lee Harris has been arraigned on federal charges stemming from his fraudulent acquisition of a Paycheck Protection Program loan for small businesses.
Harris was indicted by a federal grand jury on Jan.3.
“Congress established the Paycheck Protection Program to help small businesses, not to be easy money for anyone willing to lie on a loan application,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “We will continue to investigate and prosecute anyone who defrauded taxpayers out of the funds meant to sustain the economy during the COVID-19 crisis.”
According to Buchanan, the charges, and other information presented in court, in June 2020, Travis Harris signed a Paycheck Protection Program loan application for his business, Atlanta Luxury Cars & Trucks LLC, in the amount of $968,405. Harris’ application was based on information about the business’ number of employees, payroll, and revenue. Based on Harris’ representations, the lender deposited the $968,405 into one of Harris’ bank accounts for Atlanta Luxury Cars & Trucks LLC.
According to prosecutors, Harris soon began transferring the PPP loan funds into his personal bank accounts.
Harris was arraigned on an indictment charging the offense of wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343, on January 18, 2023, before U.S. Magistrate Judge John K. Larkins III.
⚠️ Reminder: Crime articles contain only charges and information from police reports and law enforcement statements. Suspects and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links, meaning we could earn a commission if you make a purchase through these links.
