WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A Palm Beach County man is headed to prison after he was found guilty of fraudulently obtaining more than $800,000 in forgivable Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loans.
Sean Pierre Jackson, 33, was sentenced Wednesday to three years in federal prison and three years of supervised release for the crime.
Prosecutors said Jackson previously pleaded guilty to wire fraud on Aug. 11.
Authorities said he was the principal and registered agent of Clutch Strategies LLC, SP Jackson Family Foundation Inc. and Black Republican Caucus of Florida Foundation Inc., which are all purported businesses in Boca Raton.
Between March 30, 2020, through about May 10, 2021, the Department of Justice said Jackson submitted PPP and EIDL loan applications on behalf of himself and his aforementioned companies.
In total, the loan applications that Jackson sought were for more than $839,000.
Prosecutors said Jackson falsely stated his prior-year income and expenses in the PPP and EIDL loan applications. In support of the applications, they said he also submitted false and fraudulent IRS forms, which documented income and expenses from his business and sole proprietorship.
Jackson submitted one such fraudulent PPP loan application on June 28, 2020, on behalf of the Black Republican Caucus of Florida.
A short time later a Black Republican Caucus of Florida bank account, controlled by Jackson, received a $150,325 PPP loan that was intended to pay a lease, mortgage interest, utilities and payroll checks.
Instead, the DOJ said the loan was used to pay for transactions at high-end retail stores, furniture stores, restaurants, car rentals, luxury hotels, airline tickets and bank withdrawals.
Officials said 11 of the fraudulent PPP and EIDL loan applications were processed but some of the received funds were recovered by banks and lenders shortly after disbursement.
In addition to the prison sentence, Jackson also was ordered to pay $661,986 in restitution.
