Shreveport, LA – A local man has been sentenced to over six years in federal prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud and illegal possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking offense. Mario Maurice Hall, Jr., 38, was sentenced to 74 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter.
The charges stem from two separate incidents. Hall was charged with wire fraud for defrauding the government by submitting false information to obtain Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans intended to help small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hall filed three fraudulent applications in 2021 for loans totaling over $61,000, falsely claiming he operated businesses such as medical offices and recording studios. He admitted to submitting fabricated tax forms and bank statements to secure the funds, despite not having legitimate income or businesses.
In addition to the wire fraud, Hall was also charged with possession of a firearm in connection with drug trafficking. In March 2023, federal agents intercepted a package addressed to a Shreveport residence containing five pounds of marijuana. The package was tracked and delivered as part of a controlled operation, during which Hall was observed transferring the package between vehicles. When approached by law enforcement, Hall fled into a residence but was apprehended shortly afterward. During the search, authorities recovered a Glock .40 caliber pistol and over a kilogram of packaged marijuana, which Hall admitted were his.
U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown condemned Hall’s actions, stating, “This defendant had no legitimate income or business, but nevertheless decided to fraudulently obtain these funds during one of the most vulnerable times in our nation’s history. He is also a drug dealer, and we will use every available statute to hold individuals accountable for such illicit activity.”
The case was investigated by the FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Shreveport Police Department, with Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford leading the prosecution.
