Matthew Lloyd Parker, 37, pleaded guilty in a federal court in Pittsburgh, Pa., to a fraud conspiracy charge. The case was described as the largest-known PPP fraud. He faces up to 30 years in prison and fines of up to $1 million.

He was arrested almost a year ago with Virginia Humphries, 35, of Pittsburgh.  Parker was accused of teaching her how to prepare the applications. Pittsburgh-area media accounts say Humphries describes herself as an entrepreneur and real estate agent. A grand jury indictment alleged Humphries received $82,000 in referral fees, plus loans and gifts from Parker,.

They recruited hundreds of small businesses in Pittsburgh and Detroit and falsified PPP loan applications in their names, using tricks to convince lenders to issue loans for which they would not have qualified. The conspirators prepared 318 applications and, the Small Business Administration approved 226 of those, resulting in the millions of loans.

Bob Scott

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Bob Scott has provided information to the tax and accounting community since 1991, first as technology editor of Accounting Today, and from 1997 through 2009 as editor of its sister publication, Accounting Technology. He is known throughout the industry for his depth of knowledge and for his high journalistic standards.  Scott has made frequent appearances as a speaker, moderator and panelist and events serving tax and accounting professionals. He  has a strong background in computer journalism as an editor with two former trade publications, Computer+Software News and MIS Week and spent several years with weekly and daily newspapers in Morris County New Jersey prior to that.  A graduate of Indiana University with a degree in journalism, Bob is a native of Madison, Ind