Couple arrested in early morning raid off Jasmine Ct
On June 11th, 2025, in the early morning hours, federal authorities raided a residence located at 15 Jasmine Court. The raid resulted from arrests warrants issued for Earlisha ( also known as Earlisha Farquharson ) and Somoza Louis.
Somoza Louis was taken into custody at the Jasmine Court residence, however it’s unknown if Earlisha was arrested there or at another location as court records show the two were divorced in 2024.
Both suspects were arrested on warrants issued by a federal court in the Northern District of Georgia in response to an indictment in the Middle District of Florida.
Upon their arrests both suspects were brought before a Federal Magistrate Judge where they were both given conditional bonds pending their next appearance before a Federal Judge in Tampa, FL.
U.S. Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Florida Press Release
The following press release ( found here ) was released regarding the arrests and charges.
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the indictment and arrests of Earlisha Louis (44, Newnan, Georgia) and Somoza Louis (44, Newnan, Georgia) for one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and four counts of wire fraud related to COVID-19 relief funds. If convicted, each faces up to 30 years in federal prison on each count. Earlisha Louis is also charged with two counts of illegal monetary transactions. Each of those counts carry a maximum penalty of 3 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies the pair that the United States intends to forfeit a residence and $1,705,553.80, which are alleged to be traceable to the proceeds of the offense.
According to the indictment, between April 2020 and June 2021, Earlisha and Somoza Louis devised a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration by submitting multiple false and fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications. These programs were some of the sources of economic relief provided for by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. After receiving one of the loans, Earlisha Louis transferred more than $10,000 of the fraud proceeds between her accounts.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Small Business Administration – Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Merrilyn E. Hoenemeyer.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Indictment charges multiple counts against both suspects
Under the Indictment both Earlisha and Somoza Louis are charged with the following 5 counts.
- Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud ( 18 U.S.C. § 1349 )
- Beginning on an unknown date, but at least as early as in or around April 2020, and continuing through at least in or around June 2021, in the Middle District of Florida and elsewhere, the defendants, EARLISHA LOUIS and SOMOZA LOUIS, did knowingly and willfully combine, conspire, confederate, and agree with each other to commit wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343.
- The manner and means by which the conspirators sought to accomplish the conspiracy included, among others, the following:
- It was part of the conspiracy that the conspirators would and did prepare and submit, and cause to be prepared and submitted, materially false and fraudulent applications to federal government programs tailored to provide benefits and relief to businesses and workers negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, including the SBA PPP and EIDL programs.
- It was further a part of the conspiracy that, in order to induce the SBA and the lenders to fund CARES Act loans, the conspirators would and did prepare and submit, and cause to be prepared and submitted, false and fraudulent applications to the SBA and lenders that included multiple materially false and fraudulent representations and pretenses, including:
- stating a business name, owner, address, telephone number, number of employees, gross revenue, and business costs, which falsely and fraudulently suggested that the companies were operational businesses;
- representing and certifying that loan proceeds would be used for business-related purposes; and
- fraudulently affirming the truth of statements in the application.
- It was further a part of the conspiracy that the conspirators would and did submit, and cause to be submitted, false and fraudulent documentation in support of said applications, including Department of Treasury-Internal Revenue Service 2019 Form 1040, Individual Income Tax Return, Form 940, Employer’s Annual Federal Unemployment Tax Return, and Form 941, Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Return.
- It was further a part of the conspiracy that the conspirators would and did cause the lenders to transmit interstate wires to the SBA in order to receive a PPP loan number for their applications.
- It was further a part of the conspiracy that the conspirators would and did cause the SBA and the lenders to transmit CARES Act proceeds via interstate wire transfers to accounts they controlled.
- It was further a part of the conspiracy that the conspirators would and did perform acts and make statements to promote and achieve the scheme and artifice and to misrepresent, hide, and conceal, and cause to be misrepresented, hidden, and concealed, the scheme and artifice and the acts committed in furtherance thereof.
- Wire Fraud ( 18 U.S.C. § 1343, 18 U.S.C. § 1343 )
- May 4, 2020 – A PPP application sent via electronic transmittal from Financial Institution #1 located in North Carolina to SBA servers located in Virginia resulting in a deposit of $128,100 in PPP funds into the Financial Institution #1 account ending in 6301 in the Middle District of Florida
- Wire Fraud ( 18 U.S.C. § 1343, 18 U.S.C. § 1343 )
- March 17,2021 – A PPP application sent via electronic transmittal from Financial Institution #1 located in North Carolina to SBA cloud servers located in Oregon resulting in a deposit of $127,500 in PPP funds into the Financial Institution # 1 account ending in 6301 in the Middle District of Florida
- Wire Fraud ( 18 U.S.C. § 1343, 18 U.S.C. § 1343 )
- August 31, 2021 – A wire transfer in the amount of $10,000 in EIDL Targeted Advance funds transmitted from outside the State of Florida into the Financial Institution #1 account ending in 6301 in the Middle District of Florida
- Wire Fraud ( 18 U.S.C. § 1343, 18 U.S.C. § 1343 )
- May 20, 2021 – A PPP application for a business registered in the Middle District of Florida sent via electronic transmittal from Lender #1 located in Pennsylvania to SBA cloud servers located in Oregon resulting in a deposit of $115,095 in PPP funds into the Financial Institution #1 account ending in 7026
Additionally, Earlisha Louis was charged with the following two counts in regards to money transfers between financial institutions.
- Illegal Monetary Transactions ( 18 U.S.C. § 1957, 18 U.S.C. § 1952 )
- May 20, 2021 – $15,000 – Wire transfer from Financial Institution #1 account ending in 3839, in the name ofLess4Autos Inc., to Financial Institution #1 account ending in 2779 in the name of the defendant.
- Illegal Monetary Transactions ( 18 U.S.C. § 1957, 18 U.S.C. § 1952 )
- May 20, 2021 – $15,000 – Wire transfer from Financial Institution #1 account ending in 3839, in the name ofLess4Autos Inc., to Financial Institution #1 account ending in 4783 in the name of the defendant.
Indictment contends the couple used multiple companies to defraud programs
The couple was charged after an investigation by officials with the United States Attorney’s Office lead to a Federal Grand Jury indictment in the United States District Court, Middle District of Florida, Tampa Division. At least two, possibly more, of the businesses the couple are accused of using to defraud the Government are located in Florida giving this district jurisdiction.
The indictment contends the couple defrauded the following Government programs that were used to provide Covid relief.
- Economic Injury Disaster Loan ( EIDL ) – One government response to the COVID-19 outbreak was an expansion of an existing disaster-related program-the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”)-to provide for loan assistance (including $10,00.0 advances) for small businesses and other eligible entities for loans up to $2 million. The EIDL proceeds could be used to pay certain qualifying expenses (i.e., fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills) that could have been paid had the disaster not occurred.
- Paycheck Protection Program ( PPP ) – One of the new loan programs was the SBA PPP, which was a loan designed, in part, to provide a direct incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on the payroll. Under this program, the SBA could forgive all or part of the borrowing business’s loans provided that employees were kept on the payroll for eight weeks and borrowers submitted documentation confirming that the loan proceeds were used for certain qualifying business expenses (i.e., payroll, rent, mortgage interest, or utilities).
The indictment states that the couple used the following Florida companies in their conspiracy.
- Warrior Staffing Service, LLC was a purported staffing business located in the Middle District of Florida and owned by EARLISHA LOUIS.
- Maveneo, LLC was a purported marketing business located in the Middle District of Florida and owned by EARLISHA LOUIS and SOMOZA
The indictment also states that the couple used the following Georgia companies in their conspiracy.
- BE Staffing Service, LLC was a purported staffing business located in Georgia and owned by EARLISHA LOUIS and SOMOZA LOUIS.
- Bounce2Fun, Inc. was a purported amusement arcade business located in Georgia and incorporated by EARLISHA LOUIS and SOMOZA LOUIS.
- Hibrid Staffing, LLC was a purported staffing business located in Georgia and owned by EARLISHA LOUIS and SOMOZA LOUIS.
- J&E Convenience Mart, LLC was a purported retail business located in Georgia and organized by EARLISHA LOUIS and SOMOZA LOUIS.
- Less4Autos, Inc. was a purported used car dealership located in Georgia and operated by EARLISHA LOUIS and SOMOZA LOUIS.
- Valvondi, LLC was a purported retail business located in Georgia and organized by EARLISHA LOUIS and SOMOZA LOUIS.
The indictment also states the following company, out of Georgia, was used however no mention of it can be located in the GA Secretary of State Database. However a company with that name, and in the couples name, was registered in Florida in 2009 and 2010 before being dissolved. That information is included below.
- E&S Marketing, LLC was a purported advertising business located in Georgia and owned by SOMOZA LOUIS.
Forfeiture
On top of criminal punishments upon being found guilty, Federal law provides for the following forfeitures.
- an order of forfeiture in the amount of approximately $1,705,553.80, which represents the proceeds the defendant obtained from the commission of the offenses charged in counts One through Five; and
- the real property located at 15 Jasmine Court, Newnan, Georgia, 30265, ( Coweta Tax Profile ) which was purchased with the proceeds of one or more of the offenses charged in counts One through Five.
According to images taken from a nearby DOT camera, the operation included the placement of 2 units, with their blue lights activated, beside the southbound interstate lanes just south of the Exit 41 off ramp. This tactic is often used in traffic operations that take place off interstate exits with the premise being those with known issues, from expired tags to warrants, will exit the interstate in an attempt to bypass whatever law enforcement issue is ahead.
Multiple units, including local units, were located at the end of the southbound off ramp preforming license, registration and other checks commonly preformed during these operations.
Due to the Juneteenth holiday open records are currently unavailable so it’s unknown the number of arrests made and for what charges. This article will be updated with that information as soon as the information is avialable.