Sheriff's Office Unveils $4 Million In Attempted CARES Act Fraud

SARASOTA COUNTY, FL — A CARES Act fraud investigation has uncovered more than $4 million in attempted fraudulent activity in Sarasota County through a company called SRQ Financial Solutions LLC, Sheriff Kurt Hoffman said during a Monday morning news conference.

More than $319,000 in fraudulent funds were actually released as a result of CARES Act applications submitted by the business, he added.

Eight people were arrested following the investigation and face various charges.

About $75 million total in federal funding has been distributed to Sarasota County businesses and individuals since the CARES Act, a coronavirus relief package, was first approved in September 2020, Hoffman said.

The measure allowed households affected financially by the COVID-19 pandemic to request up to $10,000 in financial assistance, while the small business recovery packages allowed small businesses to request up to $49,999, he said.

Around 200 CARES Act applications submitted to Sarasota County appear to be fraudulent, Hoffman added. Of these possible fraudulent claims, 114 were submitted through SRQ Financial Solutions, a tax preparation business located at 4034 N Washington Blvd. in Sarasota.

When reviewing these 114 applications, Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office detectives “identified several suspicious profit and loss statements, fictitious bank statements, and questionable tax documents,” Hoffman said.

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Search warrants were issued Feb. 24, leading to the seizure of multiple computers and more than 1,500 files from SRQ Financial Solutions.

Detectives have also interviewed more than two dozen clients, learning that the company collected a $150 fee to prepare CARES Act applications for individuals and businesses, Hoffman said. Once the funds were awarded, SRQ Financial Solutions collected 20 percent as payment.

Several clients told the sheriff’s office that SRQ Financial Solutions didn’t request their business’ financial information until after a CARES Act application had been submitted. Some told detectives that financial statements submitted on their behalf were fabricated.

Hoffman stressed that “none of the individuals who sought services provided fraudulent information or helped in the scheme except” for four individuals: Shaquaya J. Cooper, Shaneice Rhodes, Willie E. Rhodes and Eddie L. Yarn III.

Cooper, 25, was charged with theft of more than $5,000 and less than $10,000, as well as perjury, according to her arrest warrant. She was found hiding under a bed in Manatee County and arrested Monday morning, Hoffman said.

Though she lives in Bradenton, she used a friend’s Sarasota County address to apply for CARES Act funding there, claiming her party planning business had been affected by the pandemic, he said. She requested $25,611 from the county.

Willie E. Rhodes, 57, of Sarasota was arrested Monday morning in Hillsborough County, the sheriff said. According to his arrest warrant, he was charged with theft of more than $20,000 and less than $100,000, as well as perjury.

Hoffman said he requested $42,000 in assistance for a non-existent consulting company and $15,000 in individual support.

Shaneice Rhodes, 32, of Sarasota claimed she was laid off in 2020 and had no income and requested rental and utility assistance, the sheriff said. Her income statement, however, showed she was employed last year. She has been charged with theft of more than $5,000 and less than $10,000, as well as perjury, according to her arrest warrant.

Yarn, 37, of Bradenton has been charged with theft of more than $20,000 and less than $100,000, as well as perjury, according to his arrest warrant.

Police records say that Yarn requested $28,566 in assistance for his company Global Routes LLC due to lost income. Though he’s a Manatee County resident, he used his father’s Sarasota address to request funding through Sarasota County.

The sheriff’s office also arrested four people affiliated with SRQ Financial Solutions including “the ringleader,” Perla Rhodes, and three of her employees, Maria J. Bradley, Demetris N. Sheppard and Raelyn B. Tillman, Hoffman said.

Perla Rhodes, 33, of Sarasota; Bradley, 40, of Sarasota; Sheppard, 27, of Sarasota; and Tillman, 27, of Port Charlotte were charged with fraud to obtain $50,000 or more, according to their arrest warrants.

Sarasota County detectives continue to review the materials collected through the search warrant, Hoffman said, noting that SRQ Financial Solutions employees committed “pretty sophisticated document fraud,” using software to create fraudulent records.

The sheriff’s office investigated this case with help from the U.S. Secret Service, Sarasota County government, the Clerk of the Circuit Court and the county comptroller’s office.

Anyone with information about SRQ Financial Solutions is asked to contact SCSO’s Criminal Investigations Section at 941-861-4900.