Four more charged in $35M COVID-19 relief fraud scheme

US Attorney’s Office – Southern District of Texas, Dec. 15, 2021

HOUSTON – A federal grand jury in Houston has returned a superseding indictment against four additional individuals for fraudulently obtaining and laundering millions of dollars in forgivable Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. The Small Business Administration (SBA) guarantees the loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

A total of 15 individuals across two states have now been charged in the conspiracy.

Hamza Abbas, 29, Khalid Abbas, 55, Abdul Fatani, 55, all of Richmond; and Syed Ali, 53, of Sugar Land, are set to make their initial appearances tomorrow before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew M. Edison.

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