Brandie S. Williams of Dallas, Texas, and Brittany L. Herbert of Brandywine, Maryland, have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud in connection with COVID-19 relief funds. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo. Both women face a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. In addition, Herbert pleaded guilty to an additional count of bank fraud.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colleen M. McCarthy and Charles M. Kruly, along with Ariel Glaser and Jennifer L. Bilinkas from the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, Williams and Herbert conspired with Adam Arena and Amanda Gloria between May 2020 and June 2021 to obtain fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans.
The prosecutors stated that Williams, Herbert, and Gloria collaborated to secure a PPP loan of approximately $292,700 for Williams’s business, Beyond the Next Level, Inc., by submitting a false IRS tax form claiming the business had 25 employees and paid $1.4 million in payroll expenses in 2019. In reality, the business had no employees. After receiving the funds, Williams used them for personal purposes rather than legitimate business needs and transferred over $43,000 to accounts controlled by Gloria and Herbert.
Williams, Herbert, Gloria, and Arena also worked together to obtain another fraudulent PPP loan for about $954,000 for Arena’s company ADA Auto Group. Once these funds were received into Arena’s account, he conducted transactions benefiting himself as well as Gloria and others.
Adam Arena and Amanda Gloria have already been convicted for their involvement in this scheme.
The investigation was conducted by several federal agencies: the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division; United States Postal Inspection Service; and Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General.
Sentencing is scheduled before Judge John L. Sinatra Jr.: Williams on June 11, 2026; Herbert on July 8, 2026.
Anyone with information about potential COVID-19 related fraud can contact the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or file a report online at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
