FORMER COLLEGE STATION BAR OWNER SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR WIRE FRAUD
(Harris Co. Precinct One Constable's Office)
A Bryan man has been sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty in March to wire fraud.
46-year-old Keith Anton Johnson, who formerly owned the Southerns bar and nightclub in College Station, was ordered on Monday to serve a 14-month sentence, followed by three years of supervised release.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Johnson made fraudulent statements on several documents in order to secure $123,000 in Payroll Protection Program (PPP) loans. Johnson claimed the money would go to the employees at his business, which failed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Federal prosecutors said Johnson lied about being under indictment in Harris County for theft over $300,000 in connection with construction fraud after Hurricane Harvey. The indictment made him ineligible to receive PPP funding.
Johnson was allowed to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to later be determined.