A former employee of the Cook County Sheriff’s office has been ordered to pay more than $35,000 in restitution after pleading guilty to forgery related to a fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan application. Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced that Kimberly Flowers-Watson, 59, of Chicago, was sentenced by Cook County Circuit Court Judge Thomas J. Byrne following her guilty plea to a Class 3 felony.
Flowers-Watson must pay full restitution of $35,833 and will serve two years of second chance probation. The case was referred to the Attorney General’s office by the Cook County Sheriff’s office.
According to Raoul’s office, Flowers-Watson submitted a forged PPP loan application to the U.S. Small Business Administration during the COVID-19 pandemic by falsely claiming ownership of a non-existent business. She received $20,833 from the fraudulent PPP application in August 2021 and also obtained two Economic Disaster Injury Loans totaling $15,000.
“It is unacceptable that anyone, particularly government workers within law enforcement, would take advantage of Paycheck Protection Program loans,” Raoul said. “These loans were intended for struggling business owners during the COVID-19 pandemic, and I will continue to hold individuals accountable if they exploit critical aid programs for their own financial benefit.”
Assistant Attorney General Peter Ravoori prosecuted the case for Raoul’s Criminal Prosecutions Bureau.
The Illinois Attorney General’s office serves as the state’s main legal authority and works with law enforcement agencies on cases like this one. It handles thousands of consumer complaints each year and provides services such as fraud complaint filing and civil rights support according to its official website. The office also advocates for vulnerable groups including workers, immigrants and seniors while promoting safer communities across Illinois through various protective efforts.
