Georgia Man Admits to Conspiring to Distribute Fentanyl and to Bank Fraud Crimes

CAMDEN, N.J. - A Georgia man admitted to conspiring to distribute fentanyl, conspiring to defraud banks by negotiating stolen U.S. Treasury checks, and obtaining a fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program loan, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Elvis Sonson, 51, of Atlanta, Georgia, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb to an information charging him with conspiring to distribute fentanyl, conspiring to commit bank fraud, and bank fraud.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Over the course of several months in 2024, Sonson distributed pills containing fentanyl. Sonson admitted that he distributed pills in person in Camden, New Jersey, distributed pills by mail to Camden, and directed a co-conspirator to distribute pills. In total, Sonson admitted to distributing more than 2,000 pills that collectively weighed more than 730 grams.

During the same period, Sonson also worked with others to sell and attempt to sell U.S. Treasury checks that were stolen from the U.S. mail. The goal of their bank fraud conspiracy was to negotiate the stolen checks at banks. As part of this conspiracy, Sonson offered to sell stolen checks valued at more than $1,200,000.

Sonson also admitted to obtaining a $325,215 loan from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a federal program that provided forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses. The loan was approved based on a fraudulent application submitted by Sonson stating that a company he owned in Piscataway, New Jersey, had 21 employees and a monthly payroll of $130,086. The application also contained a fake tax return. In fact, Sonson's business had no employees other than himself and no payroll.

The fentanyl conspiracy count carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison. The bank fraud and bank fraud conspiracy counts each carry a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison. Each count carries a maximum $1 million fine. Sentencing is scheduled for December 16, 2026.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Wayne Jacobs, and agents of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.

On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division ("Fraud Division"). The Fraud Division is investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department's work to combat fraud supports President Trump's Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Camden.

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Defense counsel:

Maggie Moy, Assistant Federal Public Defender.