A Los Angeles woman is facing federal charges after allegedly obtaining $18 million in fraudulent COVID-19 relief funds.
Marisela Nuno, 53, was charged Tuesday in connection with an alleged scheme targeting two emergency programs created to help small businesses during the pandemic.
The Justice Department said Nuno defrauded the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, both of which were authorized under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
“According to court documents, the defendant allegedly obtained funds under the PPP and EIDL program by submitting false and fraudulent loan applications that collectively sought over $15.7 million in PPP funds and over $2.6 million in EIDL funds,” the DOJ said.
Prosecutors allege that Nuno knowingly provided false information about the businesses she owned, including inaccurate statements about their gross revenues. She also allegedly submitted fraudulent tax documents as part of the applications.
After receiving the relief money, Nuno allegedly spent it on private property, business startup expenses and payments to relatives.
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She faces three counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. Each wire fraud charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, while the money laundering charge carries a potential sentence of up to 10 years.
President Trump signed the CARES Act into law in March 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the country. The $2 trillion package provided economic relief intended to help businesses avoid laying off workers.
In a separate case, a California couple was convicted in 2021 after illegally obtaining $20 million in COVID-19 relief funds.
The couple used “dozens of fake, stolen, or synthetic identities — including names belonging to elderly or deceased people and foreign exchange students who briefly visited the United States years ago and never returned – to submit fraudulent applications for approximately 150 PPP and EIDL loans,” the Justice Department said.
A California businessman was also charged in 2025 after allegedly obtaining more than $14 million through fraudulent pandemic loan applications. He reportedly used the money to rent a villa, fly across the country on private jets and buy luxury vehicles, including a Rolls-Royce and a Land Rover.