Leesburg man arrested for $2.5M CARES Act loan fraud

A Leesburg man was arrested on Oct. 20 on charges of fraudulently obtaining over $2.5 million in loans through the CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program, and then spending the fraudulently obtained money on luxury items.

According to court documents, Didier Kindambu, 48, fraudulently obtained two loans issued under the PPP, a program instituted by Congress in an effort to help businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic continue to pay salary or wages to their employees. Kindambu carried out the scheme in connection with two businesses that he owns by creating fraudulent payroll documentation for each business, and then submitting that documentation in support of the PPP loan applications. In total, Kindambu fraudulently obtained approximately $2,501,753 in loan proceeds, and then spent those funds, in part, on items unrelated to any legitimate PPP-related expense, such as a Lexus automobile and a Cessna aircraft.

Kindambu is charged with one count of bank fraud. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Washington, D.C. Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); Hannibal “Mike” Ware, Inspector General of the Small Business Administration (SBA); and Jay N. Lerner, Inspector General of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC-OIG), made the announcement.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Burke is prosecuting the case (No. 1:20-mj-286).

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