A Kansas City woman has been sentenced to 11 years in federal prison for her involvement in schemes that led to the theft of over $3 million in Treasury checks and more than $500,000 in fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans under the CARES Act.
Briauna Adams, 29, received her sentence from U.S. District Judge Greg Kays after pleading guilty to wire fraud, money laundering, theft of government funds, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering. These charges stemmed from two separate criminal activities: a counterfeit check scheme involving stolen United States Treasury checks and a plan to obtain PPP loans using false information.
Court documents reveal that Adams used another person’s name and personal identification information to rent a townhome in Raymore, Missouri. From this address, she opened an investment account on July 27, 2024. On August 15 of the same year, she deposited a Treasury check worth $1,445,443.69 into this account. Fraud investigators identified the check as fraudulent and reversed the deposit before any financial loss occurred.
A search warrant executed at Adams’s rental property on November 14, 2024 uncovered approximately 253 stolen Treasury checks with a total value close to $700,000.
Adams also worked with others to submit false PPP loan applications on their behalf during the Covid-19 pandemic. The fraudulent applications resulted in losses amounting to about $540,302. She has been ordered by the court to pay restitution for these losses.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker following investigations conducted by IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Kansas City Police Department.
