An Independence, Missouri man was sentenced on Mar. 11 to five years in federal prison for his involvement in a fraudulent scheme that led to the issuance of a $148,000 Economic Injury Disaster Loan under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.
Jason Roath, 56, received a sentence of 60 months’ imprisonment from U.S. District Judge Greg Kays after pleading guilty to theft of government money related to the fraudulent acquisition and use of a Covid-19 relief loan guaranteed by the Small Business Administration.
Court documents show that a false application for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan was submitted using the name and personal information of a U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer. The application included fabricated details such as name, address, business information, number of employees, and revenue. The funds were directed into Roath’s bank account. On August 5, 2020, the full amount was deposited into his account; Roath then withdrew cash and transferred funds to debit cards. Two days later he used some proceeds at Ameristar Casino and for other personal expenses including fast food and utility bills. By August 9, his bank froze the account due to spending patterns inconsistent with business activity.
Roath has six prior felony convictions and seventeen misdemeanor convictions for offenses including theft, bad checks, and forgery dating back more than two decades.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen D. Mahoney following an investigation by Naval Criminal Investigation Service and Independence Police Department. The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri handles federal prosecutions across 66 counties in western Missouri according to its official website. The office is affiliated with the U.S. Department of Justice according to its official website and maintains offices in Kansas City, Jefferson City and Springfield according to its official website.
The jurisdiction extends from Iowa’s border southward to Arkansas and from Kansas eastward halfway across Missouri according to its official website. The office collaborates with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners according to its official website, while also supporting community outreach programs focused on issues like violent crime and drug trafficking according to its official website.
