Husband & wife plead guilty to wire fraud related to pandemic relief funds (U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Ohio)
Summary
Press release of the U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Ohio, dated June 16, 2025. Ajay Chawla and his wife, Ruhi Chawla, of West Chester pleaded guilty to wire fraud for fraudulently receiving more than $900,000 in pandemic relief funds. They received four Payroll Protection Plan loans and three Economic Injury Disaster Loans, and falsely reported employees and gross revenues for their transportation businesses on the applications. Ajay Chawla also made a false statement to the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration about the ownership of Apex Truck Lines. Wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, and sentencing is to be determined at a future hearing.
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“Husband & wife plead guilty to wire fraud related to pandemic relief funds (U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Ohio).”
Original at www.oig.dol.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/2025-06-17-husband-wife-plead-guilty-to-wire-fraud-related-to-pandemic-042dff44ae/
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PRESS RELEASE
Husband & wife plead guilty to wire fraud
related to pandemic relief funds
Monday, June 16, 2025
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Ohio
CINCINNATI – A West Chester couple pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to
committing wire fraud to obtain pandemic relief funds. The husband and wife were
owners or associates of multiple transportation firms.
Ajay Chawla, 60, and his wife, Ruhi Chawla, 50, admitted that they fraudulently received
more than $900,000 in pandemic relief funds. Specifically, they received four Payroll
Protection Plan (PPP) loans and three Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL).
According to their court documents, on their loan applications, the Chawlas falsely
reported the number of employees and gross revenues for their businesses: Prime
Transportation and Logistics Inc., ABC Trucking Inc., Apex Truck Lines LLC and A1 Diesel
Truck Repair LLC. Ajay Chawla also submitted a false statement to Department of
Transportation Office of Inspector General and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration regarding the ownership of Apex Truck Lines.
“The investigative efforts of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration
(TIGTA) and its partners, along with the prosecutorial work of the U.S. Attorney's Office,
demonstrate the commitment to pursuing, capturing, and prosecuting those who try to
defraud the American people," said TIGTA Special Agent-in-Charge Kelly Moening.
“Today’s guilty pleas underscore our steadfast commitment to identifying and
addressing fraud that undermines the integrity of Department of Transportation
programs and requirements,” said Anthony Licari, Special Agent in Charge, Department
of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Midwestern Region. “Greed has no place
in pandemic relief programs, and together with our law enforcement and prosecutorial
partners, we will continue to hold offenders accountable.”
The couple were charged in March 2025 by a bill of information.
Wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Congress sets minimum and
maximum statutory sentences. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the
Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at a
future hearing.
Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Springer is representing the United States in
this case, which was investigated by the Department of Transportation Office of
Inspector General (DOT-OIG), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE)
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Department of Labor Office of Inspector General
and Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.
###
Updated June 16, 2025
Topics
CORONAVIRUS
FINANCIAL FRAUD
Component
USAO - Ohio, Southern
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