BOSTON, Mass.- A Peabody man pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to fraudulently obtaining more than $100,000 in COVID-19 pandemic relief funds intended for small businesses.
U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Massachusetts announced that Jonathan Carpenter, 52, entered the guilty plea before U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun. Sentencing was scheduled for Sept. 3, 2026. Carpenter was arrested and charged in January 2026.
According to court documents, Carpenter defrauded the U.S. Small Business Administration in 2020 by submitting a fraudulent application for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act program.
Prosecutors said Carpenter obtained $125,000 in EIDL funds by falsely claiming the existence and operations of Homeland Electric, an electrical contracting business that had not existed for approximately five years at the time of the application. He also falsely represented that the company had been established on March 1, 2011, reported $250,000 in gross receipts, and employed eight workers as of Jan. 21, 2020. Court records further state he failed to disclose a prior criminal record.
The charge of theft of government money carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing will be determined by a federal judge under U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and applicable statutes.
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