Sacramento Resident Pleads Guilty To Bank And Tax Fraud Scheme Involving The Submission Of Fraudulent PPP Loan Applications

Summary

Anthony West, 59, of Sacramento pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of aiding the filing of a false tax return, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California announced. He admitted that from April 2020 through February 2021 he submitted multiple false Paycheck Protection Program applications with federally insured banks and false EIDL applications with the SBA, for a freight logistics company, a car dealership and a multimedia company that were shell companies with no employees or payroll. He tried to obtain $1,321,279 and actually obtained $571,179. A false tax return claiming nearly one million dollars in nonexistent revenues was meant to make one business look legitimate. Sentencing is set for December 14, 2026; the bank fraud count carries up to 30 years and a $1,000,000 fine.

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OAKLAND – Anthony West pled guilty today to one count of bank fraud and one count of aiding the filing of a false tax return, U.S. Attorney Craig H. Missakian announced. West, 59, of Sacramento, California, was charged by Information on June 9, 2026, with one count of bank fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1344, and one count of aiding the filing of a false tax return, in violation 26 U.S.C. § 7206(2). In pleading guilty to the charges in the Information, West admitted that from April 2020 through February 2021, he submitted multiple false Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications with various federally insured banks. During the same period, he also submitted multiple false Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) applications with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). These applications claimed that West owned multiple businesses, including a freight logistics company, car dealership, and multimedia company. In reality, West’s businesses were shell companies with no legitimate employees and no payroll expenses. In total, West attempted to obtain $1,321,279 from his false PPP and EIDL applications and actually obtained $571,179. Upon receiving the loan proceeds, West used the funds for his own personal enrichment and living expenses. As part of his scheme, West aided the filing of a false tax return that claimed nearly one million dollars in nonexistent revenues. The return was part of an effort by West to make one of his businesses appear to be legitimate to the SBA, even though it had no real business activity, no revenues, and no employees. United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) San Francisco Field Office Acting Special Agent in Charge David Lowe made the announcement. West’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 14, 2026, before United States District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín. West faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine on the bank fraud count and a maximum statutory penalty of three years in prison and a $100,000 fine on the tax fraud count. Any sentence will be imposed by the Court after consideration of the United States Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553. Assistant United States Attorney Abraham Fine is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Amala James. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by IRS-CI.

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