Judge Convicts Great Falls Man of Wire Fraud and Money Laundering for Fraudulent Use of COVID Funds

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A Great Falls man with prior felony convictions who lied about his income and his criminal history to obtain COVID funds was found guilty by Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris yesterday, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Following a one-day bench trial, Raymond Marcellous Blair, 45, was found guilty of one count of wire fraud and two counts of money laundering. Blair faces up to 20 years in prison on the wire fraud charge and up to ten years in prison on each money laundering count, as well as a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.

Chief Judge Morris presided and will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for January 28, 2026. Blair was released on conditions pending sentencing.

The government alleged in court documents and at trial that Blair applied for COVID relief in the form of an Economic Injury and Disaster Loan (EIDL) from the Small Business Administration (SBA) in August 2020. Blair claimed in the loan application that his business has gross revenues of $249,000, which was false. He also falsely claimed he not been convicted of a felony or placed on probation within the last five years. In truth, Blair was convicted of aggravated assault in 2011 and of failing to register as a violent offender in 2017 and was on probation in 2020 when he applied for the EIDL loan.

Relying on Blair's representations, the SBA approved his EIDL loan application and wired $99,900 into his bank account on September 1, 2020. Blair twice transferred more than $10,000 out of that account and spent the majority of the loan proceeds on personal expenses.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin D. Hargrove prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General.