Man Pleads Guilty To COVID-19 Relief Fraud

SEATTLE (AP) – A Seattle man has pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud for carrying out a scheme to defraud several COVID-19 relief programs, according to federal prosecutors.

Baoke Zhang of Issaquah, Washington, pleaded guilty last week in federal court in Seattle.

He admitted that he submitted four fake applications to three different lenders for forgivable loans under the Paycheck Protection Program. Zhang used fake entities and created fake payroll and tax records. P

rosecutors say Zhang admitted to attempting to defraud the various COVID-19 relief programs of more than $550,000. Sentencing was set for January 29, 2021.