Pretty Ricky’s, Baby Blue, Released From Prison After $24 Million PPP Loan Scam
Baby Blue, whose real name is Diamond Blue Smith, has been released early from prison following his PPP Loan Scam. The 38-year-old was sentenced to 20 months in prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, according to TMZ. He began serving his sentence in February 2022 at the Federal Correctional Institution Coleman Low in Florida.
The scheme, which occurred in 2020, attempted to defraud the government out of millions of dollars in loans from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Blue and Pennsylvania towing company owner, Tonye C. Johnson, who was also charged, received a total of $24 million in loans.
Blue reported to The Shade Room that his early release was due to the First Step Act, which was introduced by Donald Trump in 2018. The act allows eligible inmates “to participate in recidivism reduction programs and earn credits towards early release.”
It was reported that Blue will be spending time in BOP’s Miami Residential Reentry Management Office. This is an environment that oversees inmates that were recently released from jail. He will stay in community confinement until April 4th, which is when he is officially released from custody.
Blue released a statement to The Shade Room following his release:
As seen in the video, Blue was surprised by Pleasure P and Spectacular upon his release.
It is reported that Blue still has to pay over $1 million in restitution following his release. He will also have another three years of supervised release.
Baby Blue seems to be in good spirits following his release! In the video, he also states that he will be releasing an album soon and that he wrote a book. Baby Blue said that he will also be changing his name to “BIGG MONEY BLUE”.
Yall keep an eye out for some upcoming projects coming from Bigg Money Blue!
