Kansas City woman pleads guilty to COVID fraud, treasury check thefts

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - A Kansas City woman pled guilty to a scheme that included wire fraud, money laundering and counterfeit checks under the CARES Act.

According to court documents filed federally, 28-year-old Briauna Adams pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and money laundering. The charges were part of a scheme in which federal prosecutors claim she was fraudulently obtaining Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) loans.

Adams rented a home in Raymore, Missouri, using someone else’s identity, federal documents said. On July 27, 2024, she opened an individual investment account from the home. Just less than a month later, she deposited a treasury check worth more than $1.4 million in her name to the account.

Fraud investigators flagged the check and reversed the deposit before suffering a financial loss.

Adams’ rental home was then searched by authorities in November and found approximately 253 stolen treasury checks. The total value of the checks was approximately $700,000.

Court documents also claim Adams conspired with others to prepare and file fraudulent PPP loan applications that resulted in a loss of $540,302.

She faces up to 92 years in federal prison without parole.

Copyright 2025 KCTV. All rights reserved.