Two former City of Miami Police Department employees pled guilty to their involvement in separate COVID-19 relief fraud cases.
Case of Haslem
On March 6, Sheana Haslem, 38 who was formerly a Miami Police Staffing Specialist, pled guilty to wire fraud in connection with her fraudulent applications for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan and an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) advance, before U.S. District Judge Kathleen M. Williams.
According to the facts admitted at the change of plea, in July 2020, Haslem submitted a fraudulent EIDL application to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), claiming to be an independent contractor and the 100% owner of a hair and nail salon business operating under her own name.
That EIDL application falsely certified that for the 12-month period prior to January 31, 2020, Haslem’s business had gross revenues of approximately $89,993 and 15 employees. As a result of this fraudulent application, Haslem obtained from the SBA a $10,000 EIDL advance.
She also submitted another fraudulent application and obtained a $20,832 PPP loan from an SBA-approved lender.
Haslem is scheduled for sentencing on May 28, before Judge Williams in Miami, Florida, where she faces a maximum sentence of twenty years in prison.
She is the sister of Miami Heat legend Udonis Haslem, the longest-tenured player in franchise history.
Case of Carter
In a similar case, on February 13, 2024, former MPD Public Service Aide Keandra Carter, 35, pled guilty before Judge Williams to wire fraud in connection with her fraudulent application for a PPP loan.
According to the facts admitted at the change of plea, in April 2021, Carter, who was working as a full-time Miami Police Department Public Service Aide, submitted a false and fraudulent PPP loan application claiming to be a sole proprietor operating a business under her own name.
That PPP loan application falsely and fraudulently represented that her sole proprietorship’s 2019 gross income was $1,100,000. As a result of this false and fraudulent application, Carter obtained a $20,833 PPP loan from an SBA-approved PPP lender based in Pennsylvania.
Carter is scheduled for sentencing on May 2, before Judge Williams in Miami, where she faces a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of FBI, Miami Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, SBA Office of Inspector General (SBA OIG), Investigations Division’s Eastern Region, announced the guilty pleas.
