Chicago – Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced today his office obtained a guilty plea in a case against a Chicago man who fraudulently received a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan totaling approximately $14,582 while employed by the Illinois State Police (ISP).
The Attorney General’s office prosecuted Ravonn Hankins, 34, who pleaded guilty to one count of theft, a Class 2 felony. Cook County Circuit Court Judge Mariano R. Reyna sentenced Hankins on Thursday to two years of second chance probation and 30 hours of community service. Hankins has also paid $14,582 in restitution.
“COVID-era assistance programs were crucial for the survival of thousands of small businesses across Illinois that were upended by the pandemic,” Raoul said. “I will continue to ensure government employees who exploited pandemic assistance programs to line their own pockets are held accountable.”
Raoul’s office alleged Hankins fraudulently applied for and received a PPP loan for more than $14,582 from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) in April 2021 for a sole proprietor catering business that did not exist. Hankins also completed loan forgiveness applications for the loan, which was forgiven.
This plea is the most recent action Attorney General Raoul has taken to hold individuals accountable for fraudulently collecting government assistance related to the pandemic. Raoul’s office has prosecuted dozens of individuals for PPP loan fraud and referred other investigations to the appropriate state’s attorneys for further evaluation.
Assistant Attorney General Haley Bookhout prosecuted the case for Raoul’s Public Integrity Bureau.
