NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) — A Hampton woman was sentenced to five years in prison for pandemic-related loan fraud.
Court documents show that 53-year-old Lapondia Wallace committed fraud on at least 22 pandemic loan applications and five applications for pandemic unemployment insurance benefits.
According to the State’s Attorney Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, the fraud totaled more than $250,000 in losses for the United States and the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Wallace withdrew substantial amount of money and spent it on gambling, travel and luxury items before it could seized by authorities.
The 53-year-old has at least fifteen prior convictions for fraud, forgery and related offenses. In 2021, Wallace was convicted of mail fraud and was under court supervision for that crime when she committed pandemic fraud.