Miami, Florida – Federal prosecutors have charged 28-year-old Fort Lauderdale, Florida resident Damara Holness with lying on a coronavirus relief loan application and fraudulently obtaining hundreds of thousands of dollars intended to help small businesses financially survive the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to the information filed yesterday in federal district court in Fort Lauderdale, in June 2020, Holness applied for a $300,000 forgivable, federally-guaranteed Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan on behalf of Holness Consulting, Inc., a Florida company that she owned. It is alleged that to justify the requested loan amount, Holness claimed in the on-line loan application, and through supporting fraudulent payroll tax forms, that her company employed 18 people and spent an average of $120,000 each month on payroll. In fact, Holness Consulting had zero employees and no payroll expenses. A bank in Georgia approved Holness Consulting’s PPP loan application based on the lies and wired $300,000 to the company’s bank account in Florida, says the information.
Once the money hit the bank account in July 2020, Holness spent the next few months creating a paper trail to make it appear as if Holness Consulting had employees and was spending the PPP money on legitimate, approved expenses, it is alleged. According to the information, Holness issued checks from the company bank account made out to others who agreed, for a fee, to help with the fraud. At Holness’ direction, the people receiving the checks would endorse and return them to Holness. Then, Holness would cash the checks at the company’s bank, give a few hundred dollars to the check endorsers, and keep the rest of the cash for herself – about $1,000 per check, says the information.
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Damara Holness is a former president of the Broward County Democratic Black Caucus.
The information charges Holness with conspiring to commit wire fraud. If convicted, she faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Holness made her initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick M. Hunt, who sits in Ft. Lauderdale. Holness was released from custody on a $100,000 personal surety bond.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami, announced the charges.
Dallas police are investigating after two people were found dead inside of an apartment.
Officers responded to a welfare check call on the 6000 block of Ridgecrest Road around noon Wednesday.
Upon arrival they found 27 year old David Stewart and 24 year old Jimena Nunez deceased inside from gunshot wound. They also found two children ages 3 years old and 8 months alive inside.
Authorities said they received a call Sunday from a neighbor regarding shots being fired at the apartment. When officers went to the home they knocked on the door but no one answered so they left.
When they came back to the apartment Wednesday and discovered the deceased couples body they also noticed their car missing.
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At this time authorities have no suspect(s and are working to locate the missing vehicle.
A second person was arrested on Tuesday in connection to the death of a 5-year-old Dallas boy.
On Monday, 5-year-old Zamaurian Kizzee was found dead in his home located in the 2800 block of Silkwood Street. The little boy showed signs of prolonged physical abuse.
Hours after Dallas police discovered the boy dead, his mother, Tiffany Williams, 26, was arrested and charged with Injury to a Child/Serious Bodily Injury.
Williams admitted to hitting her son with a closed fist the day of his death. She also admitted that he was physically abused daily.
The following day, 74-year-old Ulysses Kizzee was also arrested. He is charged with Injury to a Child/Serious Bodily Injury by Omission, a first-degree felony.
The Dallas Police Department has not confirmed exactly how Kizzee is related to the little boy. However, a domestic disturbance incident filed with DPD earlier this year disclosed that Ulysses Kizzee and Tiffany Williams have been in a relationship for 9 years.
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A 3-month-old, 1-year-old, 3-year-old, 6-year-old, and 7-year-old, have been removed from the home. Child Protective Services say there is a history with the family.
R & B singer R. Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in prison Wednesday for racketeering and sex trafficking.
U.S. District Court Judge Ann Donnelly handed down the sentence after long deliberation and testimony from several of Kelly’s victims.
Robert Sylvester Kelly’s attorneys argued that he should only get 10 years in prison but the federal prosecutors recommended he be sentenced to more than 25 years.
During the trial several victims came together and spoke out about the sexual abuse and pain they endured throughout the years.
One victim who was identified as Jane Doe said Kelly made her perform sexual acts.
Attorneys also brought up the late Aaliyah and how R. Kelli married her while she was 15.
“I felt special, because someone who was special to the world was interested in me,” she said, adding, “I hope you go to jail for the rest of your life.”
As judge Donnelly handed down the singers sentencing the victims stood together, held hands and prayed. The judge also put in consideration Kelly’s childhood involving sexual assault, poverty and violence.
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Back in 2019 Kelly was arrested and accused of leading an organization where he would recruit underage women and subject them to sex crimes.
Kelly was charged with bribery, kidnapping, forced labor, sexual exploitation of a child, sexual trafficking across state lines and racketeering involving six victims. He was also accused of breaking the Mann Act, which makes it illegal to take anyone across state lines “for any immoral purpose“.
During testimony Kelly listened to all his accusers and did not take the stand during his trial.
