San Jose, California - A California man was arrested Friday on criminal charges related to his alleged scheming to submit fraudulent loan applications seeking millions of dollars in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) COVID-19 relief funds.
According to an indictment returned last week by a federal grand jury in San Francisco and unsealed today, Lebnitz Tran, 40, of San Jose, submitted at least 27 PPP loan applications and at least seven EIDL loan applications on behalf of multiple persons and business entities, using false and fictitious information and documents, including falsified employee information, fictitious or grossly exaggerated payroll figures, and fake tax documents. The indictment alleges that Tran sought in excess of $8 million in PPP and EIDL funds, obtained over $3.6 million in illicit loan proceeds, and ultimately netted approximately $2 million from the scheme. The indictment further alleges that Tran and others used these illicit loan proceeds to make purchases at restaurants and retail stores, make deposits into personal investment accounts, buy cryptocurrency, and, in one instance, to purchase a $100,000 Tesla from a luxury car dealership.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Tran is charged with six counts of wire fraud and three counts of bank fraud. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison as to each count of bank fraud, and 20 years in prison as to each count of wire fraud. The court also may order additional assessments, forfeiture, and restitution; however, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Acting U.S. Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds of the Northern District of California, Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Federal Bureau of Investigation, Special Agent in Charge of the San Francisco Division Craig D. Fair made the announcement.
The FBI and the Small Business Administration’s Office of Inspector General are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Griswold of the Northern District of California and Trial Attorney Christopher Jackson of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
