September 27, 2024
Former Basketball Player Admits Guilt In PPP Loan Scheme
Former Illinois State University basketball player Lorenzo Gordon was given $272,774 after fraudulently applying for PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) and EIDL (Economic Injury Disaster Loan ) loans.
A former professional international basketball player admitted to committing fraud after applying for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Missouri, announced that Lorenzo Gordon, a St. Louis resident, has pleaded guilty to one felony count of theft of government money. On Sept. 25, he admitted to committing $272,774 in fraudulent activities regarding two pandemic aid programs.
Gordon gave false information when he applied for two loans from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and three loans from the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program during the COVID-19 pandemic. He admitted to the crime as part of his plea agreement with the federal government.
The application he filled out for the PPP and EIDL programs contained fraudulent information for three companies: Logo Fitness LLC, Elite 50 Basketball Training LLC, and Elite Health and Fitness Company LLC. The former basketball player received $107,074 in PPP loans and $165,700 in EIDL loans and advances.
According to KMZU, Gordon attended Illinois State University, during his collegiate career before embarking on a professional journey in France, Germany, Turkey, and Israel.
Gordon’s girlfriend at the time, Brittish “Cierrah” Williams, was also arrested and charged with fraud related to her application for a PPP loan. In 2014, she was a cast member on “Basketball Wives.”
Williams was charged with several frauds in 2021, including tax fraud, bank fraud, insurance fraud, and pandemic-related fraud. Last year, she pleaded guilty to 15 counts and admitted to submitting fake bills for insurance payouts, lying to the IRS, and giving false information on pandemic loan applications, as well as opening bank accounts and lines of credit using other people’s Social Security numbers.
She was sentenced to federal prison in October 2023 and is currently incarcerated in Minnesota. She is scheduled to be released in April 2027.
Gordon can be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both prison and a fine. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 9, 2025.