Lisa Noller Discusses Federal Prosecutor’s Approach to Addressing COVID Aid Fraud

Foley & Lardner LLP partner Lisa Noller is quoted in the NPR story, “Chicago officials are joining the effort to crack down on cases of COVID aid fraud, offering her perspective on the federal government’s triage approach to cracking down on cases of Paycheck Protection Program fraud during the pandemic.

Noller, who is chair of Foley’s national Litigation Department, explained that the “resource issue” means the federal government needs to be realistic about the caseload level it can handle. She noted that federal prosecutors tend to prioritize the most egregious cases, ones where there will be a good return on investment.

“The federal government does not have so many prosecutors that they can pursue people who got $20,000,” Noller added. “There’s also no jail time for a $20,000 offense.”