Farmers Weekly Review

Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced today his office obtained a guilty plea and restitution in a case against a former state government employee who fraudulently applied for and received a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan totaling approximately $20,000 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Attorney General’s office prosecuted Alicia Pernell, 36, of Joliet, Illinois, who pleaded guilty on Wednesday to one count of theft by deception, a Class 2 felony. Pernell paid $5,000 in restitution upfront, with Will County Circuit Court Judge Jessica Colon-Sayre ordering Pernell to pay the remainder in $625 monthly installments and to complete two years of second chance probation.

“I am pleased with the outcome of this case that holds an individual accountable for taking advantage of assistance programs while they were responsible for serving the people of Illinois,” Raoul said, in a press release

“I will continue to prosecute government workers who exploited pandemic assistance programs that were critical to the survival of countless small businesses.”

Raoul’s office alleged Pernell was employed by the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) when she fraudulently applied for and received a PPP loan of $20,000 under the business name, “Alicia Pernell.”

This plea is the most recent action Attorney General Raoul has taken to hold individuals accountable for fraudulently collecting government assistance related to the pandemic.

Raoul’s office has prosecuted a number of individuals for PPP loan fraud and referred other investigations to the appropriate state’s attorneys for further evaluation.

Assistant Attorney General Tim Nimrod prosecuted the case for Raoul’s Public Integrity Bureau.