MARYLAND (WBFF) — A former U.S. Agency for International Development employee was sentenced to six months in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining more than $176,000 in COVID-19 relief funds, prosecutors said Monday.
Simeon Bakare, 56, of Waldorf, also was sentenced to three years of supervised release, including two months of home detention.
U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang ordered him to forfeit $176,000 and pay the same amount in restitution.
Bakare pleaded guilty June 3 to wire fraud. According to his plea, he submitted or caused the submission of multiple fraudulent applications for Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster loans between April 2020 and November 2021.
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Prosecutors said Bakare used fabricated documents, including false IRS Schedule C forms, and falsely attested that sole proprietorships existed.
None of the businesses listed in the applications had significant employees, office space, revenue or business operations, according to court documents.
Bakare admitted that he used the loan money for personal expenses, including car and housing payments and groceries.
He submitted five false loan applications and also sought loan forgiveness, prosecutors said.
The CARES Act created the PPP and expanded access to Economic Injury Disaster loans to help businesses affected by the pandemic.
This post was originally published on Fox 45 by Sinclair Media Group.
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