Staying Fit
Here's a plot twist the writers didn't script: The U.S. Justice Department has announced criminal charges against a reality TV star from Georgia for alleged bank fraud.
Maurice Fayne, 37, a frequent guest on the VH1 show Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta, was arrested and made his first appearance in federal court in Atlanta this week.
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Authorities said he falsified a Small Business Administration loan application in April, obtained $2 million and frittered away much of the cash on a Rolls-Royce, a diamond-studded Rolex watch, a diamond bracelet and a diamond ring. He also allegedly used some of the loan money to pay child support, which is not allowed under the SBA's
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), set up for relief for businesses during the coronavirus outbreak and economic meltdown.
Fayne, of Dacula, Georgia, was charged May 13. In a criminal complaint, prosecutors allege that Fayne fraudulently collected a $2 million loan from the PPP, which is part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The legislation allocated $649 billion in potentially forgivable SBA loans. Court documents show that federal authorities moved swiftly, charging Fayne within a month of his April 15 loan application.
Fayne “allegedly took advantage of the emergency lending provisions of the PPP that were intended to assist employees and small businesses battered by the coronavirus,” said Byung Pak, the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Georgia.
Assistant Attorney General Brian Benczkowski, who heads the Justice Department's Criminal Division, said Fayne “allegedly stole money meant to assist hard-hit employees and businesses during these difficult times, and instead greedily used the money to bankroll his lavish purchases of jewelry and other personal items."
Fayne is the former partner of hip-hop singer and actress Karlie Lewis, 46, who is known as Karlie Redd and is a cast member of Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta.
Last year, Fayne appeared nine times on the reality TV series, Georgia Public Broadcasting reported. Known as “Arkansas Mo” on the show, Fayne was rumored to have married Lewis. They reportedly later split.