(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — A Chicago man has been sentenced to more than five years in federal prison for illegally possessing a loaded handgun and defrauding the government of COVID relief meant for businesses, federal prosecutors said.
Tyjuan Lighthall first fell afoul of authorities in January 2019, for having a gun with an extended magazine while he was riding in a vehicle in Rogers Park. He had purchased the weapon for $400 in Indiana, even though, as a convicted felon, he was not allowed to have a gun, prosecutors said.
While out on bond for that case, Lighthall is accused of engaging in COVID-relief fraud. In April 2022, he applied for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds by saying he was the sole proprietor of a business, “Infinite 5 Creations LLC,” that did not actually exist. Upon approval of the loan, a lender deposited more than $20,000 into Lighthall’s bank account, officials said.
The 25-year-old pleaded guilty earlier this year to a federal firearm charge and admitted in a plea agreement that he engaged in PPP fraud, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago said Tuesday.
A federal judge sentenced Lighthall to 63 months in prison last week.
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