Reisterstown Woman Indicted In Alleged Pandemic Aid Scam

REISTERSTOWN - A Reisterstown woman is facing federal charges for allegedly submitting over three dozen fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) claims.

Dinara Sosa, 35, of Reisterstown, along with her sister, Elza Lipartiya, 27, of Landsdale, allegedly submitted over 25 PPP loan applications and more than 15 EIDL applications on behalf of various businesses. They are accused of providing false information to financial institutions and the Small Business Administration (SBA) to secure COVID-19 relief funds. This includes allegedly submitting fraudulent IRS forms and giving false details about average monthly payrolls and the number of employees.

If found guilty, both women could face up to 30 years in federal prison for each count of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. However, the actual sentence for federal crimes often falls below these maximum penalties. It will be up to a federal district court judge to determine the final verdict after reviewing U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other considerations.

The case against Sosa and Lipartiya stems from the broader efforts of the U.S. Department of Justice and the District of Maryland Strike Force to uncover and prosecute large-scale fraud related to pandemic relief efforts. The Strike Force is specifically looking into multi-state fraud schemes involving the CARES Act's relief provisions.