New Hampshire man created fake trucking, ag businesses to collect COVID funds

A New Hampshire man, who claimed he owned trucking and agriculture businesses, admitted that he conspired with others to fraudulently obtain nearly $320,000 in funds through two emergency relief programs that were designed to help small businesses stay afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Jan. 8, Chief Judge Lance E. Walker ordered Tyree Jones, 32, of Plymouth, New Hampshire, to pay nearly $52,000 in restitution. Jones pleaded guilty in November 2024 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Victim impact statements are due by Feb. 5.

According to court documents, Jones submitted fraudulent and forged documents to receive three Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) loans, amounting to around $52,000, through the U.S. Small Business Administration.

On the PPP applications, Jones claimed to have been the sole owner of a purported trucking company, listing his gross annual income as approximately $109,213 and his payroll as nearly $21,000 on both PPP loan applications filed in April 2021. 

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