KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A federal grand jury indicted 12 Kansas City-area residents on April 26 for their roles in a conspiracy scheme in which they were alleged to fraudulently obtain nearly $250,000 in loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
According to the indictment, Kansas City resident Renetta Golden-Larimore, 54, allegedly prepared and filed fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications for herself and the 11 other defendants, per the U.S. Department of Justice. The indictment was unsealed on May 9 following the arrests and initial court appearances of some of the defendants.
In addition to Golden-Larimore, Kansas City, Missouri, residents Don A. Baker, 47, Stephan Booth, 40, Candace E. Hill-Williams, 25, Reisjon Larimore, 25, Teiara M. Mercer, 23, Padgit L. Smith, 48, Joseph Valdivia III, 45, Salvadore Valdivia, 41, and Mone'y C. Woods, 21; Independence resident Cameron P. Henderson, 27; and Raytown resident Roger Larimore, 27, were all charged on differing counts for allegedly defrauding the PPP.
All 12 co-conspirators received a PPP loan for in the amounts of $20,832 or $20,833, per the indictment. If found guilty, all defendants could be required to forfeit to the government any property purchased with the loans or the loan in its original monetary amount.
Golden-Larimore is charged with an additional 12 counts of wire fraud, which the other 11 co-conspirators are facing an additional charge for aiding and abetting her in those wire fraud counts, per the DOJ.
Golden-Larimore alleged to fraudulently filed for the loans by creating counterfeit Internal Revenue Service (IRS) forms for fictitious businesses, per the DOJ. She also allegedly inflated income for some established businesses, according to the indictment.
Theresa R. Griswold, 42, of Olathe, Kansas, has pleaded guilty in a separate case to wire fraud for her involvement in the conspiracy, in which she obtained a $20,832 PPP loan.
This case was investigated by the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department and the IRS.
