Marcus Evans, Inc., a Delaware-based corporation, has agreed to pay over $2.8 million to resolve allegations that it improperly obtained a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan for which it was not eligible. The PPP was created in March 2020 as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act to help small businesses maintain payroll and cover business expenses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Eligibility required businesses to certify they had no more than 300 employees, including all affiliates.
Marcus Evans is part of the Marcus Evans Group, an international business intelligence and events company that organizes conferences and provides professional training across multiple industries. On March 17, 2021, Marcus Evans applied for and received a $1.83 million PPP loan after certifying that its total workforce with affiliates was under 300 employees. The company later obtained full forgiveness for this loan from the Small Business Administration (SBA). Authorities allege that Marcus Evans was ineligible because its combined domestic and foreign employee count exceeded the threshold.
U.S. Attorney Benjamin L. Wallace announced the settlement: “Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Laksin handled the case, with assistance from Christopher J. McClintock of the SBA.”
The settlement also resolves claims brought under the False Claims Act’s whistleblower provisions, allowing private individuals—known as relators—to file actions on behalf of the United States and receive a share of any recovery from such cases.
Officials encourage anyone with information about potential COVID-19 fraud to contact the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or submit information online via https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
According to authorities, these are only allegations; there has been no determination of liability in this matter.
