Jabari Long, 46, was sentenced Monday to 24 months in federal prison after having pleaded guilty to executing a multi-million-dollar fraud scheme involving pandemic assistance funds, United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. announced.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeremy Pierczynski, Homeland Security Investigations Detroit, and Todd Strom, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Detroit Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation.
Long previously pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiring to commit wire fraud. According to court records, Long used a contracting business called “Priceless Preservations Construction” to obtain a fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program loan in the amount of $2,187,000 and a fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan in the amount of $150,000. Long claimed the business had 50 employees and an average monthly payroll of $875,000. In truth, Priceless Preservations Construction had few, if any, employees and little to no payroll expenses. Records show that within weeks of receiving the fraudulently-obtained pandemic assistance funds, Long used a portion of them to buy a four-bedroom home in the exclusive Beverly Hills community. In pleading guilty, Long also admitted that he submitted false tax documentation to obtain his loan funding.
“Jabari Long falsely claimed to employ dozens through his so-called company ‘Priceless Preservations.’ But the only thing he preserved through this fraud was his greed. And his scheme wasn’t priceless at all; it carried a significant price he’s now being forced to pay,” stated Gorgon.
“Legitimate businesses that followed the rules and relied on pandemic-assistance programs in good faith deserve protection from those who seek to abuse those programs for personal enrichment,” said Pierczynski. “When fraudsters submit false information, invent payrolls, or misrepresent their operations to steal taxpayer-funded assistance, they undermine public trust and divert resources from the businesses and workers these programs were designed to support. HSI remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to identify, investigate, and root out those who exploit federal programs to line their own pockets.”
“Jabari Long used fake tax documents and manufactured counterfeit business information to fraudulently obtain more than $2 million in pandemic relief funds,” said Todd Strom, acting special agent in charge, Detroit Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation. “IRS-CI special agents are highly skilled at following the money and uncovering the financial evidence behind complex fraud schemes. We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to protect taxpayer dollars and hold accountable those who exploit federal programs for personal gain.”
Long was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $2,187,500 and serve three years on supervised release following the completion of his custodial sentence.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and IRS-Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Yahkind.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeremy Pierczynski, Homeland Security Investigations Detroit, and Todd Strom, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Detroit Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation.
Long previously pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiring to commit wire fraud. According to court records, Long used a contracting business called “Priceless Preservations Construction” to obtain a fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program loan in the amount of $2,187,000 and a fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan in the amount of $150,000. Long claimed the business had 50 employees and an average monthly payroll of $875,000. In truth, Priceless Preservations Construction had few, if any, employees and little to no payroll expenses. Records show that within weeks of receiving the fraudulently-obtained pandemic assistance funds, Long used a portion of them to buy a four-bedroom home in the exclusive Beverly Hills community. In pleading guilty, Long also admitted that he submitted false tax documentation to obtain his loan funding.
“Jabari Long falsely claimed to employ dozens through his so-called company ‘Priceless Preservations.’ But the only thing he preserved through this fraud was his greed. And his scheme wasn’t priceless at all; it carried a significant price he’s now being forced to pay,” stated Gorgon.
“Legitimate businesses that followed the rules and relied on pandemic-assistance programs in good faith deserve protection from those who seek to abuse those programs for personal enrichment,” said Pierczynski. “When fraudsters submit false information, invent payrolls, or misrepresent their operations to steal taxpayer-funded assistance, they undermine public trust and divert resources from the businesses and workers these programs were designed to support. HSI remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to identify, investigate, and root out those who exploit federal programs to line their own pockets.”
“Jabari Long used fake tax documents and manufactured counterfeit business information to fraudulently obtain more than $2 million in pandemic relief funds,” said Todd Strom, acting special agent in charge, Detroit Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation. “IRS-CI special agents are highly skilled at following the money and uncovering the financial evidence behind complex fraud schemes. We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to protect taxpayer dollars and hold accountable those who exploit federal programs for personal gain.”
Long was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $2,187,500 and serve three years on supervised release following the completion of his custodial sentence.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and IRS-Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Yahkind.
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