Indian American Man Pleads Guilty to Stealing Over $160,000 in COVID-19 Relief Money
- Jaswinder Bhangoo, 50, faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
An Indian American man from Bakersfield, California, pleaded guilty on Oct. 10 to stealing $163,750 in COVID-19 relief money, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, between May 2020 and November 2021, Jaswinder Bhangoo, 50, applied for over $250,000 in COVID-19 relief loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration.
In the applications, he falsely represented that he owned multiple businesses with several employees and substantial revenues. He also represented that he had not been convicted of a felony in the previous five years when, in fact, he had been convicted of insurance fraud. Based on Bhangooâs false representations, some of his loan applications were approved, and he received approximately $163,750 in federal funds to which he was not entitled.
He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ana de Alba on Feb. 20, 2024. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.