A Fresno man who operated trucking businesses is heading to prison for stealing more than $1 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) money.
U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced Monday that Gurjeet Bath, 37, was sentenced to 14 months in prison for theft of government property.
The big picture: Bath was sentenced after pleading guilty to stealing more than $1 million in federal funds.
Bath was also ordered to pay a $100,000 fine.
Driving the news: According to court documents, Bath and his family ran G.S. Bath Inc. and Complete Transportation Solutions.
In 2020 and 2021, Bath applied for three PPP loans and obtained them by falsifying records to inflate the wages that his employees made.
He used the money to purchase two parcels of agricultural land in Fresno County.
What they’re saying: “During a time when legitimate businesses were struggling to survive, this defendant chose to exploit a program designed to keep workers employed,” Grant said. “He has since pleaded guilty and repaid the stolen funds, but that does not erase the harm caused. Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of that fraud and our commitment to holding accountable those who abuse programs meant to help our communities in times of crisis.”