A Lehigh Acres man is facing a 30-year maximum prison sentence after being indicted for a Covid relief fraud.
Thakur Sukhdeo, 38, has been indicted for wire fraud and illegal monetary transactions. If convicted, Sukhdeo faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison for each wire fraud count.
The indictment also states that Sukhdeo has been notified that the United States intends to forfeit a 2018 Jaguar F-Pace, 2020 GMC Sierra 3500 HD and $414,000, which are alleged to be traceable proceeds of the offense.
According to the indictment, around July 2021, Sukhdeo engaged in a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration by making fraudulent representations in Economic Injury Disaster Loan documents about the use of funds.
Documents say, instead of using the proceeds for working capital, Sukhdeo used the funds for unauthorized purposes and for his own personal use.
This included the purchase of a luxury car for $69,984.61 and a truck for $93,994.42.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act is a federal law enacted March 2020, It is designed to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans suffering from the economic impact due to Covid.
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