ALEXANDRIA, Va. (DC News Now) — A former Air Force dentist in Alexandria pleaded guilty on Thursday to wire fraud stemming from programs assisting during the pandemic, officials said.
From April 2020 through December 2021, 35-year-old Muhammad Adil Quraish, of Alexandria, worked with at least four others to submit false claims for COVID-19 relief programs.
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Quraish sent applications for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan. Both loans were meant to help small businesses remain stable during the economic crisis.
Along with his co-conspirators, Quraish intentionally inflated and falsified payroll information to receive loans. The number of employees was also inflated, as well as their quarterly and annual payrolls. Creating fraudulent payrolls and IRS tax forms, the five individuals profited nearly $1.5 million from the conspiracy…