Bank, PPP and EIDL matters · National preparation support
SBA OIG Investigation: Organizing Contact and Source Records
Create a factual contact chronology and records map for counsel when an SBA-related investigation affects you or your business.
By Joseph De Gregorio · Federal Sentencing Strategist
Founder and President, Sentencing Advocacy Group · November 6, 2026
Request a Private Case Review · (646) 588-8182
Record contact accurately
Write down the date, method of contact, person contacted and agency identified in the communication. Preserve notices, envelopes and attachments. Distinguish an actual request from your interpretation of it. Qualified counsel should assess the contact and advise on any response; a preparation consultant does not decide whether you should speak with investigators or provide records.
Identify the relevant custodians
Locate who holds application copies, accounting exports, bank statements, payroll records and lender correspondence. Some records may sit with former employees or outside providers. Identify custodians and access limitations without sharing credentials. Counsel should direct preservation and collection. Do not alter originals, reconstruct missing source documents or ask others to align their accounts with yours.
Prepare a factual question list
Mark the difference between what a record shows, what you remember and what remains uncertain. If an application contains a figure you do not recognize, record that question with the file reference and version. Do not quietly replace the figure with a new one. A short, traceable question list is more useful than a confident narrative that hides unresolved discrepancies.
Define the personal preparation role
SAG can organize an individual’s employment history, business responsibilities, family circumstances and practical needs. An engagement should specify what counsel will review and which materials SAG is authorized to receive. Investigative responses, privilege decisions and legal conclusions remain with counsel. Keep legal advice and sensitive financial records out of general inquiry forms.
Continue your preparation
Does agency contact establish my status as a defendant?
Do not infer that from contact alone. Preserve the communication and have counsel explain the actual status and appropriate response.
Sources and a defined preparation assignment
Official context: Department of Justice: Justice 101. 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.