SBA OIG Agents Honored for Innovative Program Catching Pandemic Fraudsters
Members of the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA OIG) are recognized for leading a nationwide effort to recover stolen pandemic relief funds, with the group recovering $1.2 billion in stolen taxpayer dollars in more than 550 investigations.
Three of the special agents who work at SBA OIG, Kristofer Pasquale, Heather McCormick, and Alex Meusburger, accepted the 2025 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal on behalf of all SBA OIG agents.
“Kristopher, Alex and Heather stepped up to identify fraudulent schemes. Their work has become a model for the rest of the country and is leaving a legacy that benefits American businesses, taxpayers and law enforcement,” said SBA assistant inspector general for investigations Shafee Carnegie.
“An Assembly Line of Justice”
The team was recognized for the innovative way in which they tackled pandemic fraud, at a time when agents were stretched to the max during COVID, as billions were dispersed, and the potential for fraud was rampant.
To meet the unprecedented workload, Pasquale devised the “pocket team” concept which he first put into practice in Oregon.
Pocket teams work like this: SBA OIG agents partner with federal law enforcement agencies like the Department of Justice (DOJ), FBI, Secret Service, and the IRS to go after criminals on a case-by-case basis.
The teams work together using data analytics to cross check everything from loan applications and tax and payroll documents to bank statements and intellectual property and email records. The result was what Pasquale called, “an assembly line of justice.”
The pocket teams soon spread throughout the western U.S.
Meusburger took the concept to Washington State averaging one indictment per month, while McCormick put the concept into practice in Colorado.
“The last five years have been the most invigorating period of law enforcement for me. The money was going out so fast, and we had an opportunity to recover it, help the taxpayer and catch the bad guys,” said Pasquale.
Pocket teams are also credited with the landmark indictment of Blueacorn, a lender service provider that facilitated over $6 billion in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, generating $1 billion in lender fees.
In addition, Congress acted in 2022 to expand the statute of limitations for fraud on SBA loans to ten years, giving investigators more time to bring fraudsters to justice.
“This recognition is not only a testament to the excellence of Kris, Heather, and Alex but to the entire Investigation Division and the spirit of service that defines SBA OIG. Their innovation, integrity, and impact reflect the best of what public service can be,” wrote the SBA Office of Inspector General on X.
The awards, sponsored by the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service, are one of the most prestigious honors for federal employees, and are considered the “Oscars” of public service.
Additional honorees can be found here.