D.C. Campaign Finance Consultant Sentenced to Prison in $1.5 Million Fraud of Covid-Era Loan Program

WASHINGTON - Jennifer May, 43, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to more than 12 months in federal prison for her role in a scheme that defrauded $1,500,000 in Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) from the U.S. Government, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

May pleaded guilty on Aug. 27, 2025, to an Information charging her with one count of wire fraud. In addition to the more than 12-month term of incarceration, Judge Christopher R. Cooper ordered May to serve three years of supervised release. Under the terms of her plea agreement, May also must return the $1,500,000 to the United States.

Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement were Executive Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (CI), Washington, D.C. Field Office and Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Washington Division

According to court documents, May was founder and owner of Next Level Partners LLC, a consulting firm specializing in assisting campaigns with complying with campaign finance regulations and managing their accounts payable functions.

In October 2021, May applied for a second modification to an original EIDL application, requesting an additional $1,500,000 in EIDL funds for Next Level Partners.

The EIDL was a response to the COVID-19 pandemic in which the U.S. Small Business Administration offered small business owners low-interest, long-term loans. The funds were intended to be used for working capital to make regular payments for operating expenses, including payroll, rent/mortgage, utilities, and other ordinary business expenses, and to pay business debt.

May falsely certified on loan applications that she would use all loan proceeds only for business-related purposes. Yet the very same day that the SBA disbursed the funds to NLP's account, May began diverting hundreds of thousands of dollars into her personal accounts and, from there, to cryptocurrency exchanges where she speculated on a thinly traded crypto-asset called "Tomb."

Upon sustaining hundreds of thousands of dollars of losses from her speculation, May took what remained of the EIDL funds and went on to purchase real estate in Middleburg, Virginia and to buy a restaurant-bar-childcare space in Northeast Washington known as The Lane at Ivy City. The purchases were completely unrelated to NLP's business operations.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and IRS-Criminal Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Hart of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section.

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