NYC Gazette

A criminal complaint was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging John Bolden and Anthony Carreira, detectives employed by the New York City Police Department (NYPD), along with Jacqueline Johnson and Christian McKenzie, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The defendants were charged with engaging in a scheme to submit fraudulent applications for loans under the United States Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which Congress created as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Bolden, Johnson, and McKenzie were arrested today, and their initial appearances are scheduled for this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Lois Bloom. Carreira has agreed to surrender at a later date.

Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Christie M. Curtis, Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's New York Field Office (FBI), announced the arrests and charges.

“As alleged, the defendants, including members of law enforcement responsible for upholding the law, defrauded the United States government out of relief funds meant for businesses struggling to survive the pandemic,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “These arrests are a powerful reminder of this Office’s resolve to prosecute anyone who violated the public trust and took advantage of the COVID crisis by stealing from relief programs.”

Mr. Peace expressed his appreciation to the Suffolk County Police Department; SBA’s Office of Inspector General; Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System's Office of Inspector General; U.S. Department of Education's Office of Inspector General; and NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau for their assistance on the case.

As set forth in court filings, NYPD Detectives Bolden and Carreira owned partnership interests in a franchise location for a tax preparation business. Between May 2020 and October 2022, Bolden engaged in a scheme to defraud SBA by working with his clients and co-defendants—including Carreira, Johnson, and McKenzie—to fraudulently obtain PPP funds. Bolden sought to obtain—and often did obtain—PPP funds for himself, his co-defendants, and more than 65 individuals by helping submit online loan applications containing materially false information. As part of the scheme, Bolden prepared fictitious IRS Form Schedule C documentation that accompanied loan applications with false information about employment status, gross income, and net income.

The charge in the complaint is an allegation; defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty. If convicted, they face a maximum sentence of 30 years.

The government’s case is being handled by its Public Integrity Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew D. Grubin and Eric Silverberg are leading prosecution efforts with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Rachel Friedman.

The Defendants:

JOHN BOLDEN

Age: 46

Valley Stream, NY

ANTHONY CARREIRA

Age: 42

Staten Island, NY

JACQUELINE JOHNSON

Age: 78

Valley Stream, NY

CHRISTIAN MCKENZIE

Age: 46

Wheatley Heights,

NY E.D.N.Y.

Docket No.: 24-MJ-487