Jonathan Wade Sumter, 54, of Greer, was sentenced on Mar. 13 to more than six years in federal prison for wire fraud and money laundering related to a scheme involving the Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) programs.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by authorities to address fraudulent activity targeting COVID-19 relief funds. Prosecutors said the scheme resulted in over $1.8 million in losses from government programs intended to support businesses during the pandemic.
According to evidence presented in court, between June 2020 and January 2022, Jonathan Wade Sumter, his twin brother Jason Elijah Sumter, and Gerothia McCullough applied for PPP and EIDL funds using sham or defunct companies. The applications included false company expenses, fabricated employee wage statements, and other fraudulent documents for entities such as Living Water Outreach, High Consulting, Lyons Transport, GSM Home Care, Challenge Consulting, and Omni Holdings. The proceeds from these loans were split among the three individuals.
United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Jonathan Sumter to 80 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. His sentence will run concurrently with a previous 92-month sentence for health care fraud from a 2023 conviction. Jason Elijah Sumter received a three-year sentence for his role in the scheme while Gerothia McCullough was sentenced to one year.
In addition to prison time, restitution orders were issued: Jonathan Wade Sumter must pay $1,802,741; Jason Elijah Sumter must pay $739,786 and forfeit property in Orangeburg County; Gerothia McCullough must pay $478,366 and forfeit a 2018 GMC Canyon truck.
The investigation was conducted by the Small Business Administration and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation division. Assistant U.S. Attorney T. DeWayne Pearson prosecuted the case.
