The Brief
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45-year-old Rena Barrett of Covington admitted to making false statements on loans worth more than $550,000.
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Barret worked for the Small Business Administration but resigned after her fraud was discovered, prosecutors said.
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Officials said Barrett ultimately received about half of the $550,000 she sought.
ATLANTA – A Small Business Administration employee pleaded guilty to making false statements to the SBA in connection with applications for fraudulent COVID-19 pandemic loans.
What we know
Federal prosecutors said 45-year-old Rena Barrett of Covington admitted to making the statements on loans worth more than $550,000.
Barrett began working for the SBA in 2020. In May 2021, she submitted a fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan application for $170,000. The SBA initially declined the loan, but Barrett admitted to approving it for herself in July 2021.
The SBA later discovered Barrett had also approved loans for relatives, in what prosecutors described as an abuse of power.
Officials said Barrett ultimately received about half of the $550,000 she sought. She resigned from the SBA after her actions came to light.
Dig deeper
In a related case, prosecutors said another Georgia woman, Sheena Thompson, 49, pleaded guilty on April 15 to making false statements to the SBA. Thompson admitted to trying to obtain more than $150,000 in fraudulent EIDL loans.
What’s next
Barrett is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 12, 2025, and Thompson is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 28, 2025.
What they’re saying
“Abusing authority to fraudulently obtain Economic Injury Disaster Loan funds betrays the trust of small businesses relying on critical relief,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite of SBA Office of the Inspector General’s Eastern Region. “OIG is committed to protecting taxpayer dollars and ensuring accountability for those who exploit vital programs for personal gain.”
The Source
Information in this article came from a release by the federal prosecutors in Atlanta.
