Basketball Wives star Brittish “Cierrah” Williams faces decades in prison after pleading guilty to 15 federal counts of tax fraud, bank fraud, and PPP loan fraud, according to prosecutors.
The St. Louis, Missouri area radio personality entered her plea on Wednesday (May 24) in front of a federal judge, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri said in a press release.
Among the 15 charges Williams admitted guilt to were — five counts of misuse of a social security number; four counts of bank fraud; three counts of making false statements to the IRS; and three counts of wire fraud.
“British Williams has admitted an unusually large number of frauds that victimized taxpayers, banks, credit card companies, individuals and programs that were intended to help struggling businesses and employees during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming. “This is a first step towards justice for those victims. We will also be seeking repayment of all of her ill-gotten gains.”
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Williams was indicted in September 2021, and initially pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutors said she under-reported her income on tax returns for 2017-2019 and falsely claimed a niece and nephew as dependents.
She was also accused of using false social security numbers in 2017 to obtain loans, lines of credit and other funds from banks and financial institutions. Additionally, prosecutors said she defrauded the federal Paycheck Protection Program, and submitted one application to a pandemic rent relief program in California.
The case was investigated by the IRS, the Social Security Administration, and the FBI.
Williams appeared on season three of VH1’s Basketball Wives LA in 2014 and returned to the franchise this year for season 10 of Basketball Wives.
She was previously engaged to Lorenzo Gordon, who played basketball at Illinois State University and the Oklahoma City University, and later overseas in France, Turkey, Israel, Germany, and Argentina.
Gordon appeared in a video call on season 10 of Basketball Wives during a fight with his ex over their daughter.
Williams discussed her legal troubles in the trailer for season 10 of the reality series, which concluded with the season finale on May 1.
“I am still facing fraud charges,” she said while wearing an ankle monitoring bracelet. “I could go to jail.”
Following her guilty plea this week, Williams released a statement in a since-deleted Instagram post captured by The Shade Room and said she was “not ashamed.”
“Anything I’ve went through that a normal person would go through privately, I went through publicly. I hope my story, journey, and my growth can help someone going through something similar, or stops the next person from doing anything that could possibly have them in the same situation as me,” she began.
“I am not ashamed, I am not phased by comments or opinions. I am proud of the woman and mother I am TODAY. Everything I’ve been through I had to go through. I have learned patience, humility, and most of all compassion for every walk of life,” she added. “I don’t believe in losses. Just lessons to make better decisions in the future! Love you, and thanks for rocking with me.”
Williams is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 23, and faces a lengthy prison term.
The charges of misusing a social security number and making false statements each carry a potential sentence of up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The bank fraud charges carry penalties of up to 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine or both. The wire fraud charges carry a penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine.
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