FBI raids Pulaski Heights home

LITTLE ROCK — A Little Rock woman who was arrested at her Pulaski Heights home early Thursday morning after an FBI raid has been arraigned on federal mail fraud and money laundering charges related to Paycheck Protection Program loans, according to court records.

Chandler Wilson Carroll, 31, was arraigned just before 2 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Thomas Ray on four counts each of wire fraud and money laundering in connection with allegations that she had fraudulently taken out over $2 million in pandemic money authorized through the CARES Act for pandemic relief funds to assist businesses during the global covid-19 pandemic.

Carroll is charged in an indictment returned earlier this week by a grand jury in Little Rock with submitting applications for four loans totaling $2,087,723 in April and May of 2020 and in March of 2021 earmarked for payment of ongoing business expenses but using the money instead to purchase vehicles, jewelry and real estate.

At around 8 a.m. Tuesday morning, federal agents executed a raid at Carroll’s 5024 Crestwood Dr. home. Almost two hours later, a person who neighbors identified as Carroll was seen being escorted from the scene in handcuffs.

According to neighbors, no gunshots were heard during the raid, but FBI agents went in with weapons. They also say that Carroll and her husband, Ryan Carroll, are quiet. Ryan Carroll is in the Army and currently deployed, according to neighbors.

On the four wire fraud counts, Ray told Carroll at her arraignment that she could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years supervised release on each count. On the four money laundering counts, Ray said, Carroll could face a maximum sentence of 10 years on each count, as well as a $250,000 fine and three years supervised release.

The case, Ray said, has been assigned to U.S. District Judge D. Price Marshall and is currently scheduled for trial on May 21, although that date will likely be continued.

Representing Carroll at the hearing was attorney Tim Dudley of Little Rock, who told Ray that he was there for the arraignment but that no decision had been made at that point on Carroll’s legal representation as the case moves forward.

“I’m making a limited appearance for these proceedings today,” Dudley said. “We still have some arrangements to work out.”

Asked if he had been given the opportunity to review the indictment with Carroll, Dudley said he had.

“We were given an advance copy of the indictment and we talked about it last week,” Dudley said.