Thanks for visiting Federal Lawyers. We’re a second-generation law firm managed by our lead attorney, with over 40 years of combined experience defending federal criminal cases across the country. If you’re under investigation for PPP or EIDL loan fraud in Fort Worth, you already understand the stakes. Federal prosecutors in the Northern District of Texas have made pandemic loan fraud enforcement a top priority, and Fort Worth business owners are facing serious charges for conduct that ranges from deliberate fraud schemes to honest mistakes on confusing applications.

Fort Worth sits in the Northern District of Texas, which also covers Dallas, but federal prosecutors in Fort Worth handle their own caseload. We’re seeing wire fraud charges, bank fraud charges, false statement charges – all related to SBA loan applications filed during the pandemic. The exposure is significant: wire fraud carries 20 years, bank fraud carries 30 years, and even making false statements carries 5 years in federal prison.

What Gets Fort Worth Business Owners Charged

The SBA distributed billions in emergency funding through PPP and EIDL programs. Fort Worth businesses – from restaurants to construction companies to consulting firms – applied for and received loans. Now federal investigators are auditing those loans, comparing applications against tax returns, matching claimed payroll numbers against actual payroll records, tracking where loan funds actually went.

Common allegations: you inflated your employee count to qualify for a larger loan. You claimed your business was operational before February 2020 when it wasn’t. You used EIDL funds for personal expenses instead of business purposes. You applied for multiple loans using related business entities without disclosing the connections. You certified you had no delinquent federal debts when you did. Each of these can support federal fraud charges.

What catches people is the investigation timeline. The SBA flags your loan for audit – maybe because of a discrepancy in your forgiveness application, maybe because your loan amount seems disproportionate to your reported revenue, maybe because someone tipped off investigators. That referral goes to the SBA Office of Inspector General, then to the FBI or IRS Criminal Investigation. They spend months building a case before you ever hear from them.

The Federal Investigation Process

By the time federal agents contact you, they’ve already gathered significant evidence. They’ve pulled your complete loan file from the SBA. They’ve subpoenaed your business bank records going back years. They’ve reviewed your tax returns. They’ve interviewed your employees, maybe even conducted surveillance on your business. They’ve built a timeline of where the money went and identified every discrepancy between what you claimed and what documentation shows.

Then they reach out. Maybe agents show up at your business or home wanting to “ask a few questions.” Maybe you receive a grand jury subpoena for documents. Maybe you get a target letter from the U.S. Attorney’s Office informing you that you’re under investigation for federal crimes. This is when most Fort Worth business owners realize they need a lawyer – but by this point, investigators have already done most of their work.

DEFENSE TEAM SPOTLIGHT

Todd Spodek

Lead Attorney & Founder

Featured on Netflix's "Inventing Anna," Todd Spodek brings decades of high-stakes criminal defense experience. His aggressive approach has secured dismissals and acquittals in cases others deemed unwinnable.

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Meet the Full Team

That’s why your response matters so much. Talking to agents without a lawyer – even if you think you’re just clearing up misunderstandings – gives them statements they’ll use against you. Any inconsistency between what you say now and what’s in your documentation becomes evidence of lying. Any admission gets locked in before you understand what you’re being charged with.

Legal Scenario: What Would You Do?

Scenario

You submitted a PPP loan application through your Fort Worth small business listing revenue figures your accountant provided, but federal agents recently informed you that the numbers were inflated and don't match your IRS tax returns. Now you've received a target letter from the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Northern District of Texas indicating you're under investigation for wire fraud and making false statements to a financial institution.

Can I really face federal charges if my accountant prepared the PPP application and I just signed it?

Attorney's Answer

Under 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud) and 18 U.S.C. § 1014 (false statements to a financial institution), you can absolutely face federal charges even if someone else prepared the application — signing it means you certified the information was accurate. Prosecutors in the Northern District of Texas have secured convictions in PPP fraud cases carrying penalties up to 20 years in prison per wire fraud count and up to 30 years per bank fraud count under 18 U.S.C. § 1344. A strong defense strategy may involve demonstrating you relied in good faith on your accountant's professional guidance and had no intent to defraud, which directly challenges the mens rea element the government must prove beyond a reasonable doubt. Early intervention by experienced federal defense counsel is critical because cooperating strategically before an indictment is issued can sometimes result in reduced charges or a more favorable resolution.

This is general information only. Contact us for advice specific to your situation.

Criminal Intent and How Defenses Get Built

Federal fraud charges require proof of criminal intent. Wire fraud under 18 U.S.C. § 1343 requires prosecutors to prove you knowingly made false statements with intent to defraud. Bank fraud under 18 U.S.C. § 1344 requires the same. Making false statements under 18 U.S.C. § 1001 requires knowing and willful false statements.