Marietta Scam Artist Sentenced to Nearly 15 years in Federal Prison for $13 Million PPP Fraud and Tax Scheme

January 29, 2026

U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Georgia

ATLANTA - Carl Delano Torjagbo, a/k/a Karl Lucius Delano has been sentenced to nearly 15 years in prison and ordered to forfeit millions of dollars in cash and property he obtained from a fraudulent $9.6 million Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loan and filing fraudulent tax returns that generated a $3.4 million IRS refund.

“This defendant shamelessly defrauded the government out of $13 million in taxpayer money to fund his lavish lifestyle,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Through aggressive prosecution, my office will continue to ensure that anyone who abuses government relief programs and robs government coffers pays dearly for their crimes.”

“Carl Torjagbo’s fraudulent actions represent one of the largest single instances of PPP loan fraud,” said Peter Ellis, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “By fabricating a sham business and lying to steal millions, he blatantly exploited taxpayer dollars meant to help those in need. The FBI will relentlessly pursue criminals like Torjagbo who think they can profit at the public’s expense.”

“Torjagbo’s sentence sends a clear message to criminals that committing tax fraud and defrauding federal programs for personal gain ends with them being held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “IRS Criminal Investigation remains committed to protecting taxpayer dollars and ensuring that fraudsters face the full consequences of their actions.”

“This sentencing demonstrates the commitment of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) to investigate and bring to justice those who victimize the American taxpayer,” said Joel Weaver, TIGTA Special Agent-in-Charge. “Fraudulently applying for loans through a federal program meant to assist Americans in need will be met with aggressive investigation and prosecution. I want to thank our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their commitment to this goal.”

According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and information presented at trial and sentencing: On February 13, 2021, Torjagbo submitted individual tax returns to the IRS using different social security numbers and dates of birth. The tax returns falsely stated that Torjagbo paid more than $3 million in tax withholdings and reported bogus losses for Kremkov Industries, Torjagbo’s purported gold mining business in Ghana. The false representations resulted in a U.S. Treasury check being issued to Torjagbo in the amount of $3,366,240.76.

Just days later, on February 16, 2021, Torjagbo signed a PPP loan application requesting a loan in the amount of $9,554,425. In doing so, Torjagbo falsely certified that Kremkov Industries was in operation on February 15, 2020, had 493 employees who principally resided in the U.S., and had an average monthly payroll of nearly $4 million. To support the application, he submitted phony tax documents and payroll records that identified nearly a dozen celebrities and fictional characters as Kremkov employees, including Keanu Reeves, Gene Hackman, Charlie Brown, Nancy Drew, John Snow, and Emilia Clarke. As a result of Torjagbo’s false and fraudulent representations, a bank transferred $9,554,425 in PPP loan proceeds to Torjagbo’s custody. Torjagbo used those funds to pay personal debts and expenses, purchase a Marietta mansion, and buy luxury items.

On July 25, 2025, a jury convicted Torjagbo of one count of bank fraud, two counts of wire fraud, and seven counts of money laundering.

On January 27, 2026, U.S. District Judge Michael L. Brown sentenced Carl Delano Torjagbo, a/k/a Karl Lucius Delano, 50, of Marietta, Georgia, to 14 years, seven months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Judge Brown also ordered Torjagbo to pay at least $3,366,240.76 of restitution and to forfeit property and proceeds obtained as a result of the frauds, including:

a personal money judgment in the amount of $4,615,080.75;
more than $1.75 million seized from Torjagbo’s bank accounts;
a Marietta residence purchased for approximately $1.7 million;
a 2022 BMW M850xi, a 2014 Lamborghini Aventador, and a 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Velar purchased for more than $500,000 collectively; and
land in Cartersville and Acworth, Georgia purchased for more than $241,000.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, and U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. The Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General provided considerable assistance.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly K. Connors and Nicholas L. Evert prosecuted the case.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.