Javed Wahab, Theft of COVID-19 Relief Funds, California 2022

A 53-year-old former Pleasanton resident, Javed Wahab, has pleaded guilty to theft of COVID-19 relief funds worth $186,516.72. Wahab, who owned Premier Home Health Care & Hospice, Inc., Carelink Hospice Services, Inc., and JW Healthcare, Inc., admitted to stealing the funds for personal use and transferring them to family members.

The charges against Wahab resulted from his intentional misuse of funds distributed from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Provider Relief Fund. The funds were designed to help health care providers who were financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic to provide care to patients suffering from COVID-19.

According to court documents, Wahab’s three businesses received approximately $285,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. However, he admitted to spending $186,516.72 of these funds for personal use and transferring the remaining amount to family members.

The charges against Wahab include one count of theft of government property in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 641. If he complies with the plea agreement, the remaining counts will be dismissed at sentencing.

Javed Wahab is scheduled to be sentenced on August 25, 2022, by the Hon. Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, U.S. District Judge. He faces a maximum statutory prison term of 10 years, a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and up to three years of supervised release.

The case was brought following an investigation by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Lloyd-Lovett and Trial Attorney Shankar Ramamurthy are prosecuting the case.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a significant increase in fraud and theft of government funds. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California is working to combat this type of fraud and bring perpetrators to justice.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the National Center for Disaster Fraud hotline at 1-866-720-5721.

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