Former UTC Basketball Player Turned Pastor Sentenced in $1.8 Million PPP Fraud Case

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (BuzzReport) — A former University of Tennessee at Chattanooga basketball player who later reinvented himself as a preacher and entrepreneur was sentenced Thursday in federal court for orchestrating a sweeping fraud scheme that exploited pandemic-era relief programs and evaded federal taxes.

Ricky Lee Taylor, Jr., 36, of Chattanooga, was sentenced on January 8, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Charles E. Atchley, Jr., to 30 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to wire fraudand tax fraud, federal officials announced.

As part of the sentence, Taylor was ordered to pay a money judgment of $942,238.85 and $2,532,528.18 in restitution to the United States, reflecting the scope of losses tied to his crimes.

According to court records, Taylor admitted that he submitted eight fraudulent applications for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans on behalf of multiple businesses he controlled, including Potter’s Wheel Trucking, LLC; Ricky Taylor Basketball, LLC; Arena of Praise; Spirit Logistics, LLC; and Reap Real Estate and Property. Prosecutors said Taylor provided false documentation to support the applications, ultimately securing approximately $1.8 million—far more than he was legally entitled to receive.

Federal authorities further revealed that Taylor compounded the scheme by filing false personal tax returns, failing to report income derived from the fraudulently obtained PPP funds.

The case underscores the government’s continued pursuit of individuals who abused emergency relief programs designed to help struggling businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. What was intended as a financial lifeline, investigators said, instead became a source of personal enrichment for Taylor.

The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee, alongside Adam Lander, Resident Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, and Donald “Trey” Eakins, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation.

The investigation was conducted jointly by the United States Secret Service and the IRS Criminal Investigation Division in Chattanooga. The United States was represented in court by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher D. Poole.

With Thursday’s sentencing, federal officials closed a case that traces a dramatic fall—from collegiate athletics and community leadership to a federal prison term—serving as a stark reminder that pandemic fraud carries lasting and serious consequences.