Brian Graham, 49, of Lithia Springs, Georgia, was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud in a COVID-relief scheme involving the PPP and EIDL programs.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado, Graham prepared and submitted fraudulent loan applications between April 2020 and August 2021 for several business entities he controlled. Prosecutors said the applications misstated employee counts, gross revenues, cost of goods sold, and payroll.
The court ordered Graham to pay $441,546 in restitution, serve three years of supervised release, and forfeit proceeds tied to the offense. The SBA also highlighted the sentence.
The critical allegation was not just bad paperwork. Graham certified that the information was accurate and that the funds would be used for payroll and other approved business expenses. Prosecutors said he instead used the bulk of the money for himself.
The case, United States v. Graham, 1:25-cr-00079-JLK, was investigated by TIGTA and the SBA Office of Inspector General.
For Find Corporate Waste, the Graham case is a reminder that pandemic fraud often hides in plain sight: controlled entities, inflated numbers, false certifications, and taxpayer-backed money converted into personal gain.
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