Chicago Woman Sentenced to Prison for Participating in $16 Million Covid-Relief Fraud

According to the United States Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois website,

'MILICA SUMAKOVIC was among seven defendants indicted in U.S. District Court in Chicago in October 2022 for participating in a scheme that submitted more than 300 fraudulent applications seeking more than $40 million in benefits from the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDL).
The defendants’ scheme caused the U.S. Small Business Administration to pay out more than $16 million in fraudulent benefits. Sumakovic personally submitted and assisted co-defendant MARKO NIKOLIC in submitting eighteen of the fraudulent applications that sought more than $2.6 million in benefits.'

Sumakovic, 33, of Chicago, pleaded guilty last year to a federal wire fraud charge. U.S. District Judge Nancy L. Maldonado on April 25, 2024 sentenced Sumakovic to 18 months in federal prison and ordered her to pay $1.68 million in restitution to the SBA.

Two other defendants have been sentenced previously:

Marko Nikolic, 36, of La Grange, Ill., and BRANKO ALEKSIC, 34, of Chicago, each pleaded guilty last year to wire fraud and money laundering charges.
Nikolic was sentenced in January 2024 to four years and two months in prison and ordered to pay $6.9 million in restitution, while Aleksic was sentenced in November 2023 to two years and eleven months in prison and ordered to pay $575,000 in restitution.
Four other co-defendants – MAJA NIKOLIC, 36, of Brookfield, Ill., NEBOJSA SIMEUNOVIC, 38, of Lyons, Ill., MIJAJLO STANISIC, 34, of Willowbrook, Ill., and DORDE TODOROVIC, 33, of Chicago – are considered fugitives and may currently be residing overseas.
Warrants for their arrests have been issued.

Original Justice.gov sourced article