Do I need a PPP loan fraud Lawyer in Florida

You’re in Florida and you got contacted about your PPP loan from 2020-2021. Federal agents reached out. You’re scared. You’re Googling “Do I need a PPP fraud lawyer in Florida?” because you don’t know if this is federal or state, and you don’t know if you need a Florida-based lawyer or if any lawyer will do. FBI agents, Secret Service, or SBA investigators want to talk to you about your loan application.

Thanks for visiting Spodek Law Group – a second generation law firm with over 50 years of combined experience. Our managing partner, Todd Spodek, has many, many, years of experience handling PPP fraud cases nationwide, including Florida federal prosecutions in both the Southern District and Middle District of Florida. You may have seen Todd Spodek in the news – he represented Anna Delvey (the fake German heiress), handled the Ghislaine Maxwell trial juror misconduct case, and has been featured in outlets like the NY Post, Newsweek, and Fox 5. When federal prosecutors are investigating your Florida PPP loan, you need a lawyer who handles federal cases daily.

Florida Location Doesn’t Matter

PPP fraud is prosecuted under federal statutes, not Florida state law. Federal prosecutors charge violations of 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud), 18 U.S.C. § 1344 (bank fraud), and 18 U.S.C. § 1956 (money laundering). Your case will be prosecuted in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida or the Middle District of Florida – federal courts, not Florida state circuit courts. Florida’s business-friendly reputation doesn’t matter to federal prosecutors. Federal criminal law applies uniformly across all states.

Lazaro Verdecia and Yadier Arteaga, both from Miami, were convicted on November 8, 2024 for submitting over 63 fraudulent PPP loan applications that resulted in $14.5 million being disbursed. They’re scheduled for sentencing on February 3, 2025 before U.S. Senior District Judge Robert N. Scola in the Southern District of Florida. They were prosecuted in federal court, not Florida state court. This isn’t old news from 2020 – Florida PPP fraud prosecutions are active right now in 2024-2025. The DOJ Southern District of Florida press release shows federal prosecutors are still prioritizing these cases.

Federal sentencing guidelines apply the same way in Florida as everywhere else. The U.S. Sentencing Guidelines calculate sentences based on fraud amount, number of victims, role in the offense, and criminal history – not which state you’re in. Florida’s reputation as a business-friendly state doesn’t reduce your federal sentence.

The Investigation

FBI, Secret Service, SBA Office of Inspector General, IRS Criminal Investigation. The Middle District of Florida charged 109 defendants seeking to defraud over $96 million – 74 convicted, 35 pending. The Southern District hosts one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. Both districts active in 2025.

What You’re Actually Looking At

Wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. Bank fraud carries up to 30 years. Money laundering carries up to 10 years. Actual sentences depend on federal sentencing guidelines, which calculate a guideline range based on the fraud amount and your role in the scheme.

Raisha Kelly from Palm Beach County was sentenced in May 2025 to five years in federal prison plus $440,000 in restitution. Federal prosecutors identified her as the ringleader of a PPP fraud scheme. Her co-conspirators received sentences ranging from probation to nine months in prison – significantly less because they weren’t organizers. Federal judges impose harsher sentences on people who organize fraud schemes versus participants.

David Hines from Miami was sentenced to more than six years in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining $3.9 million in PPP loans. Hines bought a $318,000 Lamborghini with PPP funds, which triggered the investigation. Federal prosecutors prosecute misuse of loan proceeds even if the application had some legitimate basis.

Verdecia and Arteaga from Miami face sentencing on February 3, 2025. With a $14.5 million fraud amount, they’re looking at significant federal prison time – likely measured in years, not months.

Federal prosecutors have a 97% conviction rate according to U.S. Sentencing Commission data. Most federal criminal defendants plead guilty rather than go to trial. Verdecia and Arteaga went to trial and were convicted by a jury. Defendants who go to trial and lose typically receive harsher sentences than defendants who plead guilty early. Once you’re indicted in federal court, your odds of acquittal are about 3%. Don’t talk to federal agents without a federal criminal defense lawyer. Anything you say will be used to build the case against you, and you waive your Fifth Amendment rights when you talk.

You need a federal criminal defense lawyer, not a Florida state criminal defense lawyer. Many Florida criminal defense lawyers handle state crimes like DUI, assault, drug possession, and theft in Florida state circuit courts. PPP fraud isn’t a Florida state crime. It’s a federal crime prosecuted by U.S. Attorneys under federal statutes in federal court. A Florida state criminal defense lawyer who has never handled a federal case can’t effectively represent you in a federal PPP fraud investigation.

Your lawyer doesn’t have to be based in Florida. Federal lawyers can represent clients in any federal district court. A federal criminal defense lawyer from New York, Washington DC, or anywhere else can represent you in the Southern District of Florida or Middle District of Florida. What matters is federal criminal defense experience – handling federal prosecutors, understanding federal sentencing guidelines, negotiating federal plea agreements, and trying cases in federal court. Local familiarity with Southern District or Middle District federal prosecutors is helpful but not required.

Spodek Law Group handles federal criminal cases nationwide, including Florida federal prosecutions. Todd Spodek has handled PPP fraud cases across multiple states. We can represent you in your Florida federal PPP fraud investigation regardless of our New York location because we’re admitted to practice in federal courts nationwide. Federal experience matters more than geographic location.

Don’t talk to federal agents without a federal criminal defense lawyer present. You have a Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, but you waive that right when you voluntarily talk to investigators. Federal agents will tell you they just want to hear your side of the story or clear up some confusion. Every statement you make can and will be used to prosecute you.

Florida location doesn’t protect you. The November 2024 Miami conviction and May 2025 Palm Beach sentencing prove federal investigations are active right now. The statute of limitations for PPP fraud is ten years. PPP loans were disbursed in 2020-2021. Prosecutions can continue until 2030-2031. If you received a PPP loan in 2020 or 2021 and federal agents contact you in 2025, you’re in the middle of the active investigation window.

Call 212-300-5196.