A former employee of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s office has been ordered to pay over $20,000 in restitution after pleading guilty to felony theft for submitting a fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan application during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sentencing took place in DeKalb County Circuit Court before Judge Joseph C. Pedersen.
Bartholomew Ilenikhena, 37, from Cortland, Illinois, admitted to forging a PPP loan application to the U.S. Small Business Administration by falsely claiming ownership of a business that did not exist. He received $18,580 from the PPP program in June 2021 and an additional $10,000 through an Economic Injury Disaster Loan grant.
Ilenikhena was sentenced to pay $20,000 in restitution and will serve two years of second chance probation after pleading guilty to one Class 2 count of felony theft.
Attorney General Kwame Raoul commented on the case: “Countless small business owners relied on the Paycheck Protection Program, as well as other federal assistance programs to survive during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is unacceptable that a government worker, particularly someone within law enforcement, would take advantage of these programs for personal gain.”
The DeKalb County Sheriff’s office referred the case to Raoul’s office. Assistant Attorney General Haley Bookhout prosecuted the case for Raoul’s Public Integrity Bureau.
The Illinois Attorney General’s office regularly advocates for vulnerable groups such as workers and seniors and provides consumer protection services across Illinois through its statewide offices. The agency also works with law enforcement partners to support crime victims and promote open government initiatives. More information about their efforts can be found at their official website.