An El Sobrante man has been federally charged in connection with alleged COVID-19 relief fund fraud, U.S. Attorney Phillip Talbert announced.

Lane Jenkins, 53, has been charged with alleged wire fraud involving $1.1 million in COVID-19 government relief funds through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which was a government lifeline to businesses hard hit during the pandemic.

Jenkins was the president of A & L Investments LLC, which purported to purchase, renovate and sell distressed properties.

Prosecutors allege that in February and April 2021, Jenkins applied for and received two PPP loans totaling more than $1 million by fraudulently declaring that he had “dozens of employees and hundreds of thousands of dollars in monthly payroll expenses.”

The government alleges that Jenkins actually had zero employees and no monthly payroll.

“In fact, he had no employees and no revenues.” Federal prosecutors

In December 2021, Jenkins applied for and received forgiveness for the first of those two loans, which prosecutors allege he falsely stated he had used for payroll. Instead, the indictment alleges, Jenkins used the money for personal expenses and to pay off some debts.

Jenkins is also accused of defrauding the government through an Economic Injury Disaster Loan in 2020. Prosecutors allege he took out a $95,000 loan for a maid and cleaning service he said he ran, with 10 employees and revenues at nearly $250,000.

“In fact, he had no employees and no revenues,” said prosecutors, who allege he used the money to enrich himself.

Jenkins was charged with three counts of wire fraud and one count of submitting false writings to a government agency. If convicted, he is facing up to 65 years in federal prison.

As of Friday, Jenkins had not yet appeared in court to face the charges.

Katy St. Clair got her start in journalism by working in the classifieds department at the East Bay Express during the height of alt weeklies, then sweet talked her way into becoming staff writer, submissions editor, and music editor. She has been a columnist in the East Bay Express, SF Weekly, and the San Francisco Examiner. Starting in 2015, she begrudgingly scaled the inverted pyramid at dailies such as the Vallejo Times-Herald, The Vacaville Reporter, and the Daily Republic. She has her own independent news site and blog that covers the delightfully dysfunctional town of Vallejo, California, where she also collaborates with the investigative team at Open Vallejo. A passionate advocate for people with developmental disabilities, she serves on both the Board of the Arc of Solano and the Arc of California. She lives in Vallejo.