Office of the
Illinois Attorney General
Kwame Raoul

Chicago – Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced that a Cook Couty man was sentenced to pay $41,664 in restitution for fraudulently applying for two loans through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

John Sievers, 52, of Chicago was sentenced by Cook County Circuit Court Judge Ursula Walowski on Thursday after pleading guilty to a Class 2 felony charge of loan fraud. Sievers paid $21,000 in restitution during yesterday’s court hearing and will be required to pay off the remaining balance. Sievers was sentenced to 24 months of probation and 30 hours of public service.

“It is unacceptable a state employee – especially a member of law enforcement – would take advantage of federal assistance programs that were vital for the survival of countless small businesses during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Raoul said. “I will continue to ensure taxpayers receive restitution when individuals exploit critical aid programs to benefit themselves and their personal bank accounts.” 

The case was referred to the Attorney General’s office by the Illinois State Police’s Division of Internal Investigations.

According to Raoul’s office, Sievers was employed by the Illinois State Police when he fraudulently applied for and received two PPP loans totaling approximately $41,664 in March 2021 and May 2021 by falsely claiming he owned a business that did not exist. Sievers also applied for and received loan forgiveness for the loans.

This plea is the most recent action Attorney General Raoul has taken to hold individuals accountable for fraudulently collecting government assistance related to the pandemic. Raoul’s office has prosecuted a number of individuals for PPP loan fraud and referred other investigations to the appropriate state’s attorneys for further evaluation.  

Assistant Attorney General Skylar “Lily” Hill prosecuted the case for Raoul’s Public Integrity Bureau.