Coretta “Cory” Elliott, a St. Louis-area contractor, was sentenced to three years in federal prison on Tuesday for defrauding the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) out of $1.7 million, according to the Department of Justice.
Elliott, 53, pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud in November 2025, admitting she falsely obtained the funds through her company, CMT LLC. CMT LLC provided commercial construction, demolition, roofing, landscaping, and remediation services. Prosecutors stated Elliott made false statements to secure the loans, intended to facilitate businesses maintain payroll during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to court documents and statements made during the sentencing, Elliott misused the funds for purposes other than payroll and legitimate business expenses. Specifically, $559,454 was used for payments to unions, $2,500 went to another company under her control, and $200,000 was transferred to a Northwestern Mutual investment account held at BNY Mellon/Pershing Brokerage, as detailed in an information filed by U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith.
The scheme involved attempts to have the loans forgiven, a common feature of the PPP designed to incentivize employers to retain workers. Elliott’s firm, CMT Roofing, was central to the fraudulent activity, according to federal authorities.
The case was prosecuted by Goldsmith, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in St. Louis. Judge Cristian M. Stevens presided over the sentencing and ordered Elliott to repay the $1.7 million.
Elliott’s business dealings had previously drawn scrutiny, as she had a relationship with Virvus Jones, a longtime political figure in St. Louis, and worked with developers seeking city grants, according to reporting by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
