Four Jacksonville men were charged in a nationwide fraud investigation tied to the Paycheck Protection Program.
Published on September 14, 2026 at 4:08 pm
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Four Jacksonville people are among 106 charged or pleading guilty in a nationwide investigation into fraud in the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The three-month “Operation No Doze” investigation started in June. Federal prosecutors across the country investigated alleged fraudulent activities that tallied about $245 million in intended loss to taxpayers, officials said.
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“Pandemic load relief was meant to keep American small businesses alive during government lockdowns — not line the pockets of fraudsters,” Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a news release. “The defendants charged during our summer surge allegedly fabricated businesses, submitted false payroll and revenue claims, stole identities, and concealed foreign ties on their applications.”
The four local men are:
- Jared Eakes, 34, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and bank fraud and was sentenced to six years and six months in federal prison. He also was ordered to forfeit $7.3 million.
- Former church pastor Marcus Eichelberger, 47, pleaded guilty to wire fraud. His actions resulted in over $300,000 in loss, the U.S. Attorney’s Office says.
- Edward Malone, 52, was charged with two counts of wire fraud affecting a financial institution and faces up to 30 years in federal prison on each count if convicted. According to court documents, Malone completed nine fake rental agreements to obtain money from the federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program. That resulted in payment of about $54,100, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
- Former Jacksonville resident Justin Burns, 36, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aiding and abetting wire fraud.
Burns, in conjunction with another person, fraudulently applied for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan and a cash advance, purportedly on behalf of a business that did not exist, prosecutors said. Ultimately, the loan was charged off by the SBA due to non-repayment, resulting in a loss of $129,900, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
The investigation represents the largest-ever action against perpetrators of SBA fraud, with 870,000 suspended borrowers tied to $39 billion in suspected fraudulent activity, prosecutors say.
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