KC Reporter

A Kansas City woman has been sentenced to over four years in prison for her involvement in a scheme that led to the fraudulent acquisition of more than $900,000 through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Renetta Golden-Larimore, aged 56, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

The CARES Act, which was designed to support businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, included the PPP. This program provided forgivable loans intended to help small businesses maintain payroll and cover other essential expenses. However, Golden-Larimore admitted to conspiring with others from February 2021 to May 2022 to submit fraudulent applications for these loans.

Golden-Larimore's actions resulted in over $900,000 in PPP loans being improperly issued. She prepared and submitted false loan applications on behalf of individuals, charging fees ranging from $2,000 to $7,000 per application. Her activities earned her at least $75,833. To facilitate the fraud, she created counterfeit IRS forms for non-existent businesses or inflated income figures for existing ones.

In total, Golden-Larimore filed around 43 fraudulent PPP loan applications that were funded. The scheme caused a loss of $908,278 to the Small Business Administration (SBA). Alongside Golden-Larimore's conviction, twenty-one others have been charged and convicted as part of this broader fraud investigation.

As part of her sentencing, Golden-Larimore must forfeit $75,833—the amount she personally gained—and pay restitution of $908,278 to the SBA.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker and was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Kansas City Police Department.