Kansas City woman sentenced to federal prison for COVID-19 PPP fraud scheme
By Nick Sloan
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KANSAS CITY, Missouri (KMBC) — A Kansas City woman has been sentenced to more than seven years in federal prison for her role in a COVID-19 relief fraud scheme that used stolen identities to secure tens of thousands of dollars in Paycheck Protection Program loans.
Rasheeda McDaniel, 43, was sentenced Tuesday to 87 months in prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
Prosecutors said McDaniel and a co-defendant, Briauna Adams, used the personal information of another person to submit a fraudulent PPP loan application in early 2021 under the federal CARES Act.
The application claimed a fictitious business with more than $147,000 in gross receipts and nearly $99,000 in net income.
Court documents show the loan was approved April 2, 2021, and more than $20,000 was deposited into the victim’s bank account. On the same day, money was quickly transferred to accounts controlled by Adams and McDaniel.
Those investigating the case also found that Adams submitted a separate PPP loan application in McDaniel’s own name, falsely claiming McDaniel operated a sole proprietorship with significant income.
That loan was approved in March 2021, and McDaniel received another $20,832 deposit. Prosecutors say she withdrew $15,000 in cash that same day.
Adams was sentenced in September 2025 to 11 years in federal prison.
The case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation and the Kansas City Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker.
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