Sun City’s Briarwood Country Club Settles for Over $630K Over Alleged PPP Loan Misconduct

In a turn of events that has Sun City’s Briarwood Country Club coughing up some serious cash, the private club agreed to settle for $631,400 after allegations arose that it wrongly obtained and sought forgiveness for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan, as detailed in a

statement

by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona. These loans, part of the CARES Act, were meant as a lifeline for small businesses struggling to keep their workforce afloat during the pandemic, with explicit exclusions on eligibility – a detail Briarwood is accused of willfully ignoring.

According to the

U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona

, in May 2020, the country club applied for a PPP loan totaling $431,800 and claimed eligibility even though, as a 501(c)(7) nonprofit organization, such social clubs were not meant to benefit from these funds; after securing the loan, the club also sought loan forgiveness, triggering the federal allegations. U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino said, “PPP loans were an important but finite resource to help save small businesses across America during a generational pandemic.”

Those with information relating to potential abuse of federal programs are encouraged to report their concerns, with the Department of Justice providing a comprehensive list of agencies and contact points on their website. Indeed, the partnership between private citizens, like Mr. Riner, and federal agencies continues to be invaluable in safeguarding the framework of these relief initiatives, Therese Meers, SBA’s General Counsel, suggested the significance of such cooperation and its role in recouping the funds, she stated, “[t]he favorable settlement in this case is the product of enhanced efforts by federal agencies such as the Small Business Administration working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, SBA’s Office of Inspector General and other Federal law enforcement agencies, as well as private individuals who uncover fraudulent conduct to recover the product of this fraud as well as penalties,” the

U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona

quoted.

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