A local woman allegedly used COVID funds to pay for plastic surgery. | philippe spitalier/Unsplash
A local woman allegedly used COVID funds to pay for plastic surgery. | philippe spitalier/Unsplash
A Gwinnett County woman was charged with defrauding the government of $2 million in COVID-19 relief funds.
Thirty-nine-year-old Ashlee Parker of Dacula allegedly used some of the money to get plastic surgery, according to FOX 5 Atlanta.
David Estes of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Georgia said he "will continue to identify and hold accountable anyone who violates the law to siphon money" from relief programs.
"The CARES Act [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act] was funded to help small businesses struggling from the effects of a global pandemic," Estes told FOX 5 Atlanta. "In far too many cases, however, it has been exploited by those seeking to milk these relief programs for their personal profit.”
Parker faces charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud; seven counts of wire fraud; and counts of false documents, money laundering conspiracy, and making false statements, FOX 5 Atlanta reported. In total, Parker allegedly defrauded the U.S. government out of $2 million. Part of that money was used at a cosmetic surgery clinic for "a breast augmentation procedure and an abdominoplasty with flank liposuction."
Parker is the owner of Proficient Tax LLC, The Harris Parker Group LLC, and AMP Credit Solutions LLC, according to the indictment. Authorities alleged that she submitted over two dozen fraudulent applications for loans as part of the CARES Act on behalf of her companies and others, FOX 5 Atlanta reported.
She faces up to 30 years in federal prison without parole, followed by five years of supervised release if she is found guilty, according to FOX 5 Atlanta. She could also be ordered to pay restitution and hefty fines.
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