ITHACA, N.Y. — An Ithaca man was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison Wednesday after being convicted of defrauding the pandemic-era Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
Ejembi Onah, a 61-year-old man, was convicted of two counts of wire fraud and three counts of transacting in criminally derived property. According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Onah obtained two PPP loans totaling over $140,000 and spent the money improperly.
“Onah spent the more than $140,000 he received to, among other things, pay back rent at his personal residence, lease a luxury car, and pay for his daily living expenses,” according to the release.
Onah obtained the money in June 2020 by applying for loans at two lenders, falsifying tax returns to bolster his claim that he owned a seasonal nanotechnology business.
In addition to the incarceration, Onah must repay $218,983.32 and will be under supervised release for two years after his 24-month sentence.