A former Dallas County prosecutor is accused of defrauding approximately $20,800 in small business loans during the coronavirus pandemic while he worked for the district attorney’s office, according to a federal indictment handed up by a grand jury last week.
Thelma Anderson, 37, is charged with one count of wire fraud and two counts of engaging in financial transactions involving property derived from certain unlawful activities, according to court records.
Federal authorities allege Anderson falsely reported payroll expenses and revenue for his limited liability company to secure a Paycheck Protection Program loan in 2021. Anderson then spent the money on personal expenses, including rent, food and entertainment, according to the indictment.
According to the indictment, Anderson worked as a prosecutor from July 2016 to March 2022 and was prohibited from taking on outside work without the district attorney’s office’s permission. During that time, Anderson also ran an apparel and sandal company and a consulting group, according to her public LinkedIn profile.
No attorney for Anderson was listed in court records. A phone number listed for Anderson’s business website could not be reached, and he did not immediately respond to emails, social media messages and text messages seeking comment Wednesday afternoon. A woman who answered a cellphone number associated with Anderson denied being the former Dallas County prosecutor.
It is unclear why Anderson left the district attorney’s office, and a spokesman for the Dallas County district attorney’s office declined to comment.
A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas declined to comment until Anderson’s court appearance.
According to the indictment, Anderson applied for the loan in February 2021, claiming her company’s average monthly payroll expenses were more than $8,300, even though federal authorities say she was the only employee. Anderson also submitted false IRS forms, claiming her company had gross sales of more than $142,700 in 2019.
According to the indictment, Anderson received $20,817 from a third-party lender and then withdrew the money and placed it into business checking and savings accounts.
According to the indictment, Anderson applied for forgiveness of his PPP loan in October 2021. As part of his application, federal authorities allege, Anderson falsely represented that he spent $17,500 of the original PPP loan amount on payroll costs. The entire loan was forgiven, according to the indictment.
If convicted, Anderson faces forfeiture of any assets derived from his alleged crimes, according to the indictment.
