Bank, PPP and EIDL matters · National preparation support
PPP Loan Preparer Investigation: Duties, Instructions and Records
Organize the work performed by accountants, bookkeepers and application preparers in a PPP matter with clear source and responsibility boundaries.
By Joseph De Gregorio · Federal Sentencing Strategist
Founder and President, Sentencing Advocacy Group · November 6, 2026
Request a Private Case Review · (646) 588-8182
Identify the agreed assignment
Preserve engagement letters, instructions and communications defining the work. Distinguish gathering documents, calculating figures, entering data and submitting a form. A preparer may have performed only some of these functions. Record the actual work rather than assuming that a professional title establishes the full scope or responsibility.
Trace information supplied by others
For each important figure or representation, identify the source and when it was received. Keep the original file and any questions raised at the time. Do not treat client-supplied information as independently verified unless the records support that description. Counsel evaluates the significance of reliance, knowledge and any inconsistencies.
Keep clients and entities separate
Use a matter-by-matter index when several applications or borrowers are involved. Identify access permissions and preserve confidentiality through counsel’s approved process. Do not combine files merely because the same preparer worked on them. Shared spreadsheets can obscure which information belonged to which entity and when it was used.
Prepare a candid professional chronology
Document qualifications, employment, actual duties and relevant training accurately. Identify corrections or concerns with dates and supporting records. SAG can help organize the professional history and individual account for counsel. It does not provide an accounting opinion, professional-discipline advice or a legal defense to allegations.
Continue your preparation
Should I describe all source information as verified?
Only if the records support that. Distinguish information received, work performed and verification actually completed.
Sources and a defined preparation assignment
Official context: SBA COVID-era program resources. Sources checked November 6, 2026. Program resources and historical oversight reports do not decide an individual case. Counsel evaluates the applicable law, dates and facts.
Work directly with Joseph to define the scope, authorized recipients and review dates. Agreed deliverables can include a personal and professional chronology, indexed supporting records, factual questions for counsel and a practical preparation schedule. SAG does not manage legal responses or provide forensic accounting. An engagement does not automatically establish privilege.
SAG serves clients nationwide from New Jersey, with travel arranged for cases. SAG is not a law firm. No charging decision, sentence, placement or release date is guaranteed.
For defense counsel: Discuss Support for Your Client. Share your role, stage and next deadline, not sensitive financial records or privileged advice, in the initial inquiry.