TAMPA, Florida — A federal jury has convicted 69-year-old Stephen L. Gurba, of Belleair, of wire fraud, making a false statement to a financial institution, and aggravated identity theft. Gurba faces significant prison time, with a maximum of 20 years for each wire fraud count, up to 30 years for the false statement charge, and a mandatory minimum of two years for each identity theft count, according to U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe.
Between March and June 2020, Gurba submitted fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) applications for Big Red Express Trucking, LLC and Zenith Express, LLC, using the identity of his deceased former business partner, who passed away in 2019. He forged his partner’s name and signature on loan applications and authorization agreements, leading to the approval and funding of the loans by the Small Business Administration (SBA), according to evidence presented at trial.
Gurba also applied for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan for Big Red, falsely certifying that the funds would be used for authorized expenses. Instead, he used the proceeds for personal enrichment, including gambling and paying off unrelated debts. This resulted in a $955,448.75 loan approval from an SBA-authorized financial institution, stated the source…