MCALLEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Five Rio Grande Valley residents have been indicted for wire fraud in a scheme involving the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, according to U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Sandra Pope Solis, 60, from Rancho Viejo, and Lesley Chavez, 42, from Edinburg, the final two arrested, went before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Scott Hacker.

Rolando Santiago Benitez, 51, from Harlingen, Bernardo Gomez Jr., 46, from Edinburg, and Edgar De La Garza, 45, from Brownsville, had previously made their appearances in federal court.

An eight-count indictment returned on Aug. 5 showed all five individuals submitted fraudulent loan applications to obtain EIDL and/or PPP loans through the Small Business Administration (SBA).

The c

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