(Justice.gov Image)

A Seattle-area tech executive who attempted to fraudulently obtain COVID-19 disaster relief loans through the Paycheck Protection Program was sentenced to two years in prison on Tuesday.

Mukund Mohan, 48, of Clyde Hill, Wash., pleaded guilty to charges of wire fraud and money laundering on March 15. He was originally charged in July 2020.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington said in a news release that Mohan submitted eight fraudulent disaster loan applications seeking over $5.5 million. In support of those applications, submitted fake and altered documents, including fake federal tax filings and altered incorporation documents.

Court documents revealed, for example, that Mohan misrepresented to a lender that, in 2019, his company Mahenjo Inc., had dozens of employees and paid millions of dollars in employee wages and payroll taxes. He submitted false incorporation documents and tax forms suggesting the company had been in business prior to 2020, but he actually purchased Mahenjo in May 2020 had no employees and no business activity at the time of purchase.

Five of the eight fraudulent loan applications were approved, and Mohan obtained nearly $1.8 million in COVID-19 relief funds.

Mohan’s prior tech experience includes a stint at Amazon Business, where he was director of product management. He was also previously director of Microsoft Ventures and the director of engineering for Microsoft’s cloud and enterprise business.

“When individuals like Mr. Mohan abuse the benefit programs under the CARES act to unjustly enrich themselves, they are stealing from those that are the most vulnerable,” Corinne Kalve, acting special agent in charge of IRS Criminal Investigation, said in a statement. “Today, Mr. Mohan is being held accountable for the harm his greed has caused our friends, our families, and our communities.”

In the months since the PPP began, Fraud Section attorneys with the Department of Justice have prosecuted more than 100 defendants in more than 70 criminal cases, seized more than $65 million in cash derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items.

In addition to the prison sentence, Mohan was ordered to pay a fine in the amount of $100,000 and $1,786,357 in restitution.

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