A Winchester man is facing a federal wire fraud charge after he allegedly tried to obtain more than $13 million in COVID-19 relief money through the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program by providing false information in applications.
Elijah Majak Buoi, 38, was scheduled to appear in federal court in Boston on Monday to answer to the charge, according to a news release from the U.S. Justice Department.
Boui is the president and CEO of Sosuda Tech LLC, an information technology services company, the release says, and from April 2020 through this month, he sent applications for PPP funds requesting $13 million.
The SBA was offering loans as part of the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Boui allegedly gave the incorrect number of employees and amount of payroll, and lied that most of his employees live within the United States, the release says. He “also allegedly submitted falsified documentation in support of his applications for PPP funds,” according to authorities.
“The complaint further alleges that Buoi ultimately received over $2 million in PPP funds,” the release says. “The government has seized approximately $1.98 million from Sosuda’s business bank accounts.”
Over $300 billion was made available for small businesses to apply for loans, deemed forgivable, to help cover expenses like job retention during the economic crisis brought on by the pandemic, the release notes.
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