LI Woman Accused Of Fraudulently Obtaining More Than $1M: Feds

NEWARK, NJ — A Long Island woman has been accused of fraudulently obtaining more than $1 million in New Jersey, acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna said this week.

In or around September 2021, an application was made to the Small Business Administration for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan on behalf of a business, and the agency provided around $1.2 million in response, according to prosecutors.

A representative of the business told investigators, the entity did not make the application, prosecutors said, adding that Raena Fuller, 28, of Yaphank, eventually received a portion of SBA funds, and she was involved in "additional criminal activity concerning fraudulent checks" and received other "proceeds from her criminal acts."

Fuller has been accused of wire fraud, which is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of the greater of $250,000, twice the gross profits or twice the gross loss suffered to the victims of the offense, according to prosecutors.

Khanna credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Franklin Township Resident Agency, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence Reilly, and special agents of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan in Newark with the investigation leading to the arrest.

Her defense attorney, A. Charles Peruto, of Philadelphia, PA, declined comment.