ANN ARBOR, MI – An Ann Arbor woman was arraigned Wednesday and charged with several crimes for allegedly fraudulently obtaining two federal loans through the Paycheck Protection Program, according to a statement from the Michigan Attorney General’s Office.
Yulonda Eckel, 56 and an employee of the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, is accused of claiming to independently own a small business generating $104,900 in gross income in 2020, allowing her to apply for and receive the two loans, distributed during the COVID-19 pandemic through the U.S. Small Business Administration. Eckel does not operate such a business, according to an investigation by the attorney general’s office in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, Office of Inspector General. The loans Eckel received totaled more than $41,000, according to the press release.
“During the pandemic, Michigan saw millions of dollars fraudulently taken from programs aimed at keeping business afloat in our communities,” Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement and thanked investigators. “My department will continue to protect taxpayer dollars by investigating and prosecuting those who take advantage of government aid.”
Eckel is charged with two counts of using false pretenses to obtain $20,000-$50,000, two counts of using a computer to commit a crime, and one count of making or permitting a false tax return, the attorney general’s office reported. The most serious of the crimes is a felony punishable by a maximum of 15 years in prison and a large fine.
Eckel will appear before Judge Karen Quinlan Valvo in the 15th District Court for a Probable Cause Conference on June 20. Her bond was set at $5,000.
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