Southfield Couple Pleads Guilty in $1.2M Pandemic Fraud Conspiracy

DETROIT - Catherine Spidell-Ferguson pleaded guilty today to participating in a $1.2 million Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) fraud conspiracy, United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. announced. Spidell-Ferguson's husband, D'Angelo Ferguson, pleaded guilty in January to conspiring to commit bank fraud based on his involvement in the same conspiracy.

Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Jared Murphey, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations-Detroit.

According to plea documents, D'Angelo Ferguson admitted to participating in the submission of three separate PPP loan applications, which included false representations and fictitious supporting documents. As part of the scheme, D'Angelo Ferguson claimed each company had a certain amount of monthly income, along with monthly payroll expenses for certain employees. Both the number of employees and the monthly payroll expenses were fictitious. The documents used to support the supposed monthly income for the companies were false. Court documents indicate that Catherine Spidell-Ferguson admitted to her participation in the submission of the application for one of these bogus loans. In total, the amount fraudulently obtained by the couple in the scheme was approximately $1.2 million.

"Fraud is a plague on our Nation. It takes many forms-and all of them weaken our economy and steal from the American taxpayer. Name a program, and someone is trying to scam it. It is time to make the scammers pay," said Gorgon.

Sentencing before United States District Judge Laurie J. Michelson will occur after a presentence report is prepared. Both Ferguson and Spidell-Ferguson face possible maximum sentences of not more than 30 years' imprisonment without the possibility of parole, fines of not more than $1,000,000, and up to five years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

The Department of Justice has created the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump's Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason Dorval Norwood.