Mitchell Summerfield, a 45-year-old pastor from Raleigh, has pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud. The charges relate to a scheme involving the fraudulent acquisition of COVID-19 loan funds. At his sentencing, Summerfield could face up to 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine, and five years of supervised release. Additionally, he will be required to pay restitution in an amount yet to be determined.
Court documents reveal that Summerfield was the pastor at Word of God Fellowship Church in Raleigh and owned several entities such as Winning Ways, KHS Investments, and Vision and Destiny. Between July 2020 and July 2021, he conspired with others to submit false applications for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) for these businesses.
The PPP program was established by Congress in March 2020 under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to help small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. These loans were fully guaranteed by the United States and forgivable if used for payroll or other qualified expenses. The CARES Act also expanded the EIDL program for small businesses facing financial difficulties due to the pandemic. Both programs were managed by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
Summerfield submitted multiple loan applications on behalf of his entities using false statements to persuade the SBA and lending institutions to approve them. He provided fabricated IRS tax forms including false income tax returns. Consequently, he obtained over $400,000 in PPP and EIDL funds which he used for unauthorized personal expenses.
The announcement came from Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina after U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle accepted Summerfield’s plea. The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation division with Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa K. Labresh prosecuting.
Further details can be accessed through related court documents available on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or via PACER using Case No. 5:25-CR-22.
