Employee Sentenced for Fraudulent Receipt of Pandemic Related Funds

An Amtrak electrician based in Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced March 26, 2026, in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, to two years of probation and was ordered to pay $25,000 in restitution and 30 hours of community service, after pleading guilty to one count of theft by deception. Our investigation found that the employee submitted an application containing false statements to the Small Business Administration to qualify for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan. As a result, the employee received $96,200 to which he was not entitled.