Former SBA and IRS Employee Sentenced to Federal Prison for Taking Bribes in $3.5 Million COVID Fraud Scheme
ATLANTA / Thursday, September 3, 2026 - Attallah Williams, a former U.S. Small Business Administration and Internal Revenue Service employee, has been sentenced to federal prison for taking bribes to submit and approve more than $3.5 million in fraudulent pandemic relief payments.
“Williams misused her public office to steal taxpayer money intended to promote employment during a national crisis, and she deepened her fraud by recruiting accomplices through Instagram,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “We will continue to work tirelessly to uncover and hold accountable those who violate the public’s trust and loot the treasury.”
“Williams turned positions of public trust into an opportunity to enrich herself, using her federal access and social media to recruit others and funnel millions of dollars in fraudulent pandemic relief into her scheme,” said Marlo Graham, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI will continue to pursue those who exploit their positions for personal gain and steal money meant to support the American people.”
“Attallah Williams used her positions at the SBA and IRS to steal millions from COVID-19 relief programs,” said Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “Those who defrauded these programs may believe they escaped detection, but this case proves that IRS Criminal Investigation and its federal law enforcement partners will continue holding those responsible for defrauding COVID-19 relief programs accountable.”
“The Office of the DeKalb County District Attorney is proud to work with our federal law enforcement partners to investigate and hold accountable those who misuse taxpayer dollars for their own gain, especially government employees,” said DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston. “Defendant Williams was convicted of abusing her positions within the federal government to take money earmarked to help struggling businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. This sentence should send a strong message to anyone who steals public funds that they will be punished accordingly.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Williams orchestrated a three-year scheme to fraudulently obtain funds from four separate emergency pandemic relief programs:
First, Williams submitted fraudulent applications to the SBA to obtain Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) in the names of businesses that were not operational.
Second, Williams submitted a fraudulent application for a Paycheck Protection Program loan, guaranteed by the SBA, for a business that was not operational.
Third, Williams obtained a position as an SBA loan officer, enabling her to use her insider access to approve fraudulent applications to the EIDL Advance grant program. Williams advertised on Instagram to recruit accomplices who, under her guidance, submitted applications using the names of nonexistent or ineligible businesses. Williams then used her position to improperly approve those applications in exchange for a share of the proceeds. Williams also encouraged her conspirators to recruit additional participants, promising them referral fees for every person brought into the scheme.
Fourth, Williams left the SBA and obtained a position as an IRS tax examining technician. Williams again advertised on social media to recruit accomplices who, under her instructions and with her assistance, submitted fraudulent tax documents to the IRS to claim payments under the Employee Retention Tax Credit program, with Williams receiving a fee for each application.
In total, Williams submitted false claims for more than $3.5 million of pandemic emergency assistance funds intended to help struggling businesses, resulting in $3,272,000 being distributed before the scheme was disrupted.
On September 1, 2026, Attallah Williams, 33, of Hampton, Georgia, was sentenced to six years, six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $3,272,000 in restitution. She pled guilty on February 11, 2026, to conspiracy to defraud the United States through fraudulent claims.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Small Business Administration – Office of Inspector General, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service, and U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, with valuable assistance from the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Garrett L. Bradford prosecuted the case.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted Pandemic Program fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or via the SBA Office of the Inspector General Complaint Submission at: https://sbax.sba.gov/oigcss.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Source: U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Georgia
