Fresno Man Sentenced to 14 Months in Prison for Paycheck Protection Program Loan Fraud (OIG news release, March 23, 2026)
Summary
An OIG news release published March 23, 2026 by the Office of Inspector General, reporting that U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston sentenced Gurjeet Bath of Fresno to 14 months in prison for theft of government property and ordered a $100,000 criminal fine. U.S. Attorney Eric Grant made the announcement. It states that Bath, who operated two trucking businesses, received three Paycheck Protection Program loans totaling more than $1 million in 2020 and 2021 after falsifying records to inflate employees and wages, and used the money to buy two parcels of farmland. It says he pleaded guilty on May 27, 2025 and repaid the funds.
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“Fresno Man Sentenced to 14 Months in Prison for Paycheck Protection Program Loan Fraud (OIG news release, March 23, 2026).”
Original at legacy.sba.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/2026-03-23-fresno-man-sentenced-to-14-months-in-prison-for-paycheck-pr-0f7bb0c792/
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OIG news release Fresno Man Sentenced to 14 Months in Prison for Paycheck Protection Program Loan Fraud Published on March 23, 2026 by Office of Inspector General Click Here to Sign Up for SBA OIG Email Updates on Recent Investigative Cases, Audit Oversight Reports, and General News Click Here to View the Original U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Press Release Gurjeet Bath, 37, of Fresno, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston to 14 months in prison for theft of government property, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. Bath was also ordered to pay a $100,000 criminal fine. “During a time when legitimate businesses were struggling to survive, this defendant chose to exploit a program designed to keep workers employed,” said U.S. Attorney Grant. “He has since pleaded guilty and repaid the stolen funds, but that does not erase the harm caused. Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of that fraud and our commitment to holding accountable those who abuse programs meant to help our communities in times of crisis.” “Mr. Gurjeet Bath fabricated employee records and inflated wages to steal more than $825,000 in federal funds meant to keep businesses afloat during a national crisis. Instead, he used that money to buy land in Fresno County. The FBI and our partners at the SBA Office of Inspector General will continue pursuing everyone who treated pandemic relief as a personal slush fund,” said FBI Sacramento Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel. According to court documents, Bath and other family members operated two trucking businesses: G.S. Bath Inc. and Complete Transportation Solutions (CTS), operating in Fresno County. In 2020 and 2021, Bath applied for and received three PPP loans totaling more than $1 million. To obtain the loans, Bath knowingly falsified records to inflate his businesses’ employees and their wages. Bath then used those funds to purchase two parcels of agricultural land in Fresno County. Bath pleaded guilty on May 27, 2025. The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation with assistance from the Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Barton prosecuted the case. Related programs: Pandemic Oversight, PPP
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