BOISE — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (U.S. Attorneys (USAO)), published as received.
BOISE – Anubor Bagbi, 63, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today.
According to court records, between May and December 2022, Bagbi obtained fraudulent or stolen checks issued to legitimate companies, then established fraudulent bank accounts in various states, including Idaho, using the name of the business payees on the stolen and fraudulent checks. In order open the fraudulent business accounts, Bagbi registered the business names with the Secretary of State and obtained employer identification numbers from the IRS. He used the fraudulent documents, false identifications, and fabricated tax documents and utility bills to open the accounts. Several of the identifications Bagbi used contained the real names of identity theft victims.
In addition to the bank fraud scheme, beginning in April 2020, Bagbi applied for and received funds though the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) under the CARES Act. Bagbi submitted fraudulent documents and applications in both his own name and other individuals’ names for businesses that did not exist. As a result, Bagbi caused a loss of $664,828.
In total, the bank fraud and COVID fraud schemes resulted in a loss of $886,879.86.
U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford also sentenced Bagbi to five years of supervised release and to pay full restitution in the amount of $886,879.86.
“This defendant callously victimized businesses, individuals, and the American taxpayers through his related schemes,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “His prosecution and sentence show that those who commit mail fraud, identity theft, and COVID relief—either separately or in combination—will be brought to justice. I am grateful to the talented team of investigators and prosecutors who successfully handled this case.”
“This sentencing demonstrates our resolve to deter crimes which threaten our financial infrastructure and defraud taxpayer-funded relief,” said Special Agent in Charge Marc DellaSala, U.S. Secret Service. “I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Small Business Administration, and our local law enforcement partners for their dedication to this effort.”
“Providing false and stolen information to fraudulently gain access to pandemic relief funds is a theft of taxpayer funds,” said SBA OIG’s Western Region Special Agent in Charge Weston King. “OIG remains committed to rooting out bad actors and protecting the integrity of SBA programs. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and pursuit of justice.”
U.S. Attorney Hurwit credited the cooperative efforts of the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General who investigated the case with assistance from the Boise Police Department, the Ada County Sheriff’s Office, and the Garden City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Darci Crane and Brittney Campbell prosecuted the case.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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