Emanuel Co. woman sentenced for defrauding program for COVID-19 small business relief

STATESBORO, Ga. (WTOC) – An Emanuel County woman admitted to creating a fake business and using it to receive funding from a federal COVID-19 small business relief program has now been sentenced in federal court.

Tracy Kirkland, 41, of Swainsboro, was sentenced to 33 months in prison after pleading guilty to Wire Fraud charges. U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hal also ordered Kirkland to pay restitution of $66,400, forfeit a 2019 Dodge Charger and $16,250, and serve three years of supervised release after completion of her prison sentence. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Tracy Kirkland has a disturbing history of two decades as a petty thief, and was on state probation when she stepped her crimes up another notch by defrauding the COVID-19 relief program,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “She is once again being held accountable for her criminal activity.”

According to court documents and testimony, in August 2020 Kirkland…

Read more…