United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Kentucky
08/14/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/14/2026 16:10
Louisville Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges for CARES Act Fraud
Louisville, KY - A Louisville woman pled guilty on August 11, 2026, to knowingly making false statements to a Federally Insured Financial Institution and a Federal Credit Union.
U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge Kelly Moening of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) Great Lakes Field Division made the announcement.
Between April 14, 2020, and August 11, 2022, Rachel Finley a/k/a Rachel Adams, 57, of Louisville, Kentucky, knowingly filed two applications for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans containing materially false and misleading statements to a Federally Insured Financial Institution and a Federal Credit Union, resulting in the theft of $117,990. Finley utilized the entity Private Label Vintage & Spirits, a Kentucky Limited Liability Company. Finley falsified the number of employees and payroll expenses of the entity in the applications. Finley further submitted applications for forgiveness for each of the loans containing materially false and misleading statements regarding the number of employees the entity had at the time of the application and at the time of forgiveness, the amount that had been spent on payroll costs, and falsely certified that she had complied with all requirements in the PPP Rules.
Finley pled guilty to two counts of making false statements to a federally insured financial institution and two counts of making false statements to a federal credit union in a four-count Superseding Information. She is scheduled to be sentenced on December 2, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. A federal district court judge will determine her sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Additionally, Finley will be required to pay not less than $134,241 in restitution.
There is no parole in the federal system.
"Through her conduct, Finley demonstrated zero regard for the hard-working taxpayers who funded this vital benefit program," said United States Attorney Kyle Bumgarner. "No matter the size of the amount stolen, the Department of Justice and this Office will remain committed to identifying and prosecuting those individuals who defraud benefits programs. The taxpayers deserve as much out of the Department."
This case is being investigated by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA).
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicole Elver and David Weiser, of the U.S. Attorney's Office, are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Aaron Cooper.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division ("Fraud Division"). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department's work to combat fraud supports 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.
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