Jenilea Pena was found not guilty of stealing federal funds issued to small business owners during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Special to the American Press)

A Sulphur woman accused of stealing nearly $100,000 in federal funds issued to small businesses during the COVID pandemic has been cleared of wrong doing.

This week a unanimous jury found Jenilea Pena not guilty of wire fraud and making false statements to the government.

Pena was one of three owners of Planet Nutrition in Sulphur, owning 25 percent of the business. An indictment filed in federal court on March 20, 2024, claimed Pena filed for a small business loan in 2020 through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act without the knowledge of the majority owner.

According to the indictment, Pena was accused of using $97,000 of the loan for her own personal use and submitting a fictitious document signed by the majority owner.

After a four-day trial, the jury returned a not guilty verdict late Thursday on both counts.

Faced with the option to plead to a misdemeanor, “Jenilea chose the harder path — the path of principle,” according to her attorney, Adam Johnson. “She stood firm, confident that the truth would prevail. And it did.”

Johnson said though Pena was falsely accused, “she never lost faith in the process, in her integrity or in her God.”

“This verdict is more than a legal outcome,” Johnson said “It is a restoration of reputation, a reaffirmation of character, and a reminder that justice — though sometimes delayed — is still possible. Jenilea and her family endured a long and painful chapter, but they did so with strength, grace and unwavering resolve.”