An Atlanta lawyer who once ran as a Democrat for the House of Representatives and as a judge for the Fulton County Superior Court has just been found GUILTY in a huge COVID relief fraud case.
Shelitha Robertson has been convicted of using the pandemic’s Paycheck Protection Program to fraudulently take out over $7 MILLION in loans – which she used to fund a lavish lifestyle, complete with a Rolls-Royce and a $148,000 10-carat diamond ring!
Take a look:
BREAKING: Democrat attorney who once ran for judge convicted in $7 million COVID relief fraud case.
Shelitha Robertson, an attorney who once ran as a Democrat to become a superior court judge, was found guilty by a federal jury in the Northern District of Georgia for… pic.twitter.com/30uwkjeyQZ
— I Meme Therefore I Am 🇺🇸 (@ImMeme0) December 22, 2023
Robertson didn’t use the fraudulent money to buy just any old Rolls-Royce, either.
Nope.
Hers was a custom, garish Pepto-Bismol pink!
See for yourself:
Atlanta Attorney and previous failed Democrat Politician Shelitha Robertson found guilty in $7M PPP loan fraud case. She bought a Pepto Bismol Pink Rolls Royce with part of the $. 🤮🤮🤮
Money can’t buy class. https://t.co/LZHd1Oh1Fk— Savannah (@BasedSavannah) December 21, 2023
Folks have been quick to make joke’s about Robertson’s tastes on X:
Feds: "Shelitha Robertson, you are under arrest for PPP loan fraud."
Shelitha: "Officer, I can explain."
Feds: "Explain THIS?" https://t.co/IIx1KnkLIF pic.twitter.com/VBf2d8PEyh
— Jevaughn (@Jevaughn_Brown) December 20, 2023
Newsweek has more details on the guilty ruling:
A Georgia attorney has been convicted of defrauding the federal government of more than $7 million in Paycheck Protection Program funds.
Prosecutors said Shelitha Robertson, 62, of Atlanta, Georgia, falsely inflated the number of employees and average monthly payroll for each of her four businesses on PPP loan applications in order to obtain the federal aid, which was aimed at keeping small businesses afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic.
She then used the funds to make extravagant purchases, including a Rolls-Royce, a motorcycle, and a 10-carat diamond ring for $148,000, prosecutors said. She also transferred funds to family members and a co-conspirator.
A federal jury on Tuesday found Robertson guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud, and one count of money laundering, the Department of Justice said in a news release.
Robertson had remained on bond since pleading not guilty to the charges in December last year, but was remanded into custody pending her sentencing on April 11. She faces a maximum of 20 years in prison for each count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud, and a maximum of 10 years for money laundering.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution also reported:
An Atlanta lawyer and business owner previously employed by the city as a police officer and attorney was found guilty Tuesday of defrauding the federal government out of more than $7 million in Paycheck Protection Program funds.
Prosecutors alleged Shelitha Robertson used the funds her businesses received to buy a Rolls-Royce car, a motorcycle, and a 10-carat diamond ring for $148,000, among other things.
Robertson had denied grossly exaggerating the number of people employed by four of her companies in order to obtain millions of dollars in federal aid designed to keep small businesses afloat during the coronavirus pandemic.
She blamed her companies’ fraudulent 2020 PPP loan applications on her then-friend and personal attorney, Chandra Norton, who pleaded guilty in a separate prosecution.
A jury of seven men and five women deliberated for about 13 hours over two days before finding Robertson guilty on three counts of wire fraud and single counts of money laundering and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
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