BODY:
A Southern California medical mogul has been brought to justice for swindling the government out of over a million bucks in pandemic relief funds. Mehrdad Tabrizi, the owner of defunct medical companies Life Fleet Inc. and Resonante Group, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering charges in a California court.
According to investigators, Tabrizi submitted two fake loan applications to the Small Business Administration (SBA) in 2020 and 2021, claiming his companies were operational and had employees who received wages during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, records show that Life Fleet Inc. had been shuttered since 2018 and was no longer operational.
As a result of Tabrizi’s deceit, the SBA’s lending partner disbursed approximately $696,565 in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds to bank accounts controlled by the defendant. The total amount of stolen funds exceeds $1 million.
Tabrizi’s scheme was uncovered during an investigation into COVID-19 relief fund abuse. His guilty plea marks a significant blow to those who would exploit the system for personal gain. The defendant is set to be sentenced at a later date.
The case serves as a reminder of the importance of accountability and the consequences of defrauding the government. As the nation continues to recover from the pandemic, it’s crucial that those who would seek to take advantage of relief programs are held to the highest standards of justice.
Source: Department of Justice
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