William Powell, 35, of Huntington, was sentenced to six months of home detention followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $15,625 in restitution for conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Powell admitted to receiving $15,625 from a fraudulent Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) loan guaranteed by the Small Business Administration under the CARES Act.
Court documents show that Kisha Sutton conspired with Powell and others to secure fraudulent PPP loans. On April 19, 2021, Sutton submitted a PPP application on Powell’s behalf, listing him as a sole proprietor hair stylist who earned $75,000 in gross income in 2020. The application included an IRS Form 1040 Schedule C stating this income. As part of his guilty plea, Powell acknowledged he never earned $75,000 as a hair stylist in one year and that the tax form submitted was fabricated solely for the loan application.
A lender in Florida approved the loan and deposited $15,625 into Powell’s account on June 29, 2021. Between July 6 and July 20 of that year, Powell transferred $2,000 from these proceeds to Sutton using a digital wallet application and used the rest for personal expenses.
The CARES Act provided forgivable PPP loans to qualifying sole proprietors and other self-employed individuals affected by COVID-19 to help replace lost income. Applicants had to certify their business operations as of February 15, 2020 and provide documentation showing prior gross income from either 2019 or 2020.
Powell and Sutton were among several individuals indicted on charges alleging they conspired to obtain fraudulent PPP loans totaling $140,625. Sutton, age 44 of Jersey City, New Jersey, was found guilty on July 15, 2025 of aiding and abetting bank fraud and laundering monetary instruments after a two-day trial. She is scheduled for sentencing on November 13, 2025. Three remaining co-defendants have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.
“Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the West Virginia State Police – Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), and the West Virginia State Auditor’s Office (WVSAO) Public Integrity and Fraud Unit (PIFU).”
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed Powell’s sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan T. Storage and Jennifer D. Gordon along with former Assistant United States Attorney Holly Wilson prosecuted the case.
Individuals with information about COVID-19 fraud are encouraged to report it via phone at 866-720-5721 or through an online complaint form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Additional information can be found on PACER by searching Case No. 2:24-cr-192.
