An Indian-origin man in California has been sentenced to 14 months in jail for defrauding the government’s Paycheck Protection Program loan. Gurjit Bath, 37, was also ordered to pay a criminal fine of $100,000. Bath had applied for this loan, which was made available to small business owners to cope with the losses of the pandemic, so that they can pay the salaries of their employees. Bath inflated its employees’ wages and falsified records to obtain a $1 million loan.According to court documents, Bath used the money to purchase two parcels of agricultural land in Fresno County. Bath had two trucking businesses named after him and his family members: GS Bath Inc. and Complete Transportation Solutions (CTS), which operated in Fresno County. In 2020 and 2021, Bath applied for and received three PPP loans totaling more than $1 million. To obtain the loan, Bath knowingly falsified records to inflate his business’s employees and their salaries. Bath then used the money to purchase two parcels of farmland in Fresno County. US Attorney Eric Grant, in announcing the sentence, said that Bath pleaded guilty on May 27, 2025, but that does not diminish the harm he caused. “At a time when legitimate businesses were struggling to survive, this defendant chose to take advantage of a program designed to keep workers employed,” said U.S. Attorney Grant. “He has since pleaded guilty and repaid the stolen funds, but the damage he caused has not ended. Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of the fraud he committed and our commitment to holding accountable those who abuse programs that help our communities in times of crisis.”“FBI Sacramento Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel said, “Mr. Gurjit Bath manipulated employee records and inflated wages to steal more than $825,000 in federal funds meant to keep businesses afloat during a national crisis. Instead, he used that money to purchase land in Fresno County. Our partners at the FBI and the SBA Office of Inspector General will continue to pursue all those who misused pandemic relief for personal gain. Treated as a slush fund.”
