Fresno County, California, USA:  An Indian-origin man in California has been sentenced to 14 months in prison for defrauding the United States government through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a relief initiative introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The accused, Gurjeet Bath, 37, was also ordered to pay a criminal fine of $100,000. Authorities revealed that Bath secured more than $1 million in PPP loans by submitting falsified documents and inflating employee wages.

The PPP scheme was designed to assist small businesses in retaining employees and managing financial losses during the pandemic. However, Bath manipulated the system by overstating payroll expenses and fabricating employee records to obtain higher loan amounts.

According to court documents, Bath operated two trucking companies — G.S. Bath Inc. and Complete Transportation Solutions (CTS) — in Fresno County. Between 2020 and 2021, he successfully obtained three PPP loans totaling over $1 million.

Investigators found that instead of using the funds for legitimate business purposes, Bath diverted a significant portion of the money to purchase two parcels of agricultural land in Fresno County.

Bath pleaded guilty to the charges on May 27, 2025. Announcing the sentencing, Eric Grant, the U.S. Attorney, emphasized the seriousness of the offense.

“During a time when legitimate businesses were struggling to survive, the defendant exploited a program intended to protect jobs,” Grant stated. “Although he has pleaded guilty and repaid the funds, the damage caused cannot be undone.”

Echoing similar concerns, Sid Patel, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Sacramento field office, said that Bath had fraudulently obtained more than $825,000 by fabricating employee records and inflating wages.

Patel further noted that federal agencies, including the FBI and the Small Business Administration’s Office of Inspector General, remain committed to investigating and prosecuting individuals who misuse pandemic relief funds for personal gain.