Rudolph Brooks Jr., pastor of Kingdom Tabernacle of Restoration Ministries in Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to charges of wire fraud and money laundering.
Investigators found that Brooks exploited the pandemic era Payroll Protection Program (PPP) to fraudulently obtain $3.5 million in loans and misused the funds on personal expenses.
In a statement, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland said that Brooks will be required “to forfeit all property and assets derived from or obtained as a result of his criminal activity, including a 2018 Tesla Model 3, property located in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, and at least $2,231,141.49 from 17 bank accounts controlled by Brooks.”
Brooks’ prison term will be followed by two years of supervised release.
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The PPP, which was part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, was aimed at offsetting the economic impact of COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns. Through the program, businesses and nonprofit organizations obtained forgivable loans to support employee retention.
According to court documents, Brooks exploited the PPP to obtain loans for himself using several entities, including Kingdom Tabernacle of Restoration Ministries, Cars Direct by Gavawn HWD Bob’s Motors, and Madaro, LLC. Brooks inflated employee numbers and average monthly payroll expenses on the applications for the loans.
In May 2020, Brooks fraudulently obtained roughly $1.5 million in PPP loans that were deposited into a Cars Direct bank account. He obtained $1.8 million and deposited it into a Kingdom Tabernacle bank account. He obtained another roughly $200,000 and deposited it into a Madaro, LLC bank account.
In each case, Brooks was the sole signatory for the account.
Using the illegally obtained funds, Brooks purchased a new home and a luxury vehicle. He also used the money at restaurants, retail stores, and on grocery expenses.
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Brooks was originally arrested in April 2021.
