Plano dentist accused of using nearly $2 million COVID-19 relief loans on personal expenses sentenced to federal prison
Plano, Texas – In a major twist in the misuse of COVID-19 relief aid, a distinguished dental practitioner from Plano is on his way to serve a federal prison sentence.
His crime? The fraudulent utilization of relief funds to the tune of $1.89 million, reserved to alleviate the devastating impact of the pandemic, for personal extravagance.
Brian Bui, the accused, entered a plea of guilty on Monday for committing wire fraud, as confirmed by the United States Attorney’s Office. Bui, a 43-year-old who is quite well-known in his profession, confessed to leveraging his dental enterprise to secure two loans from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
The court documents tell a fascinating tale of manipulation and deceit. They reveal that Bui, in an audacious act of duplicity, misrepresented crucial information pertaining to his employee headcount and monthly payroll expenditure in his applications for the PPP loans.
This cunning subterfuge was amplified by his further fabrication of supporting documents required for the loan application process.
What followed after securing the funds is where Bui’s mendacious behavior took an even darker turn. The U.S. Attorney’s Office reports that he promptly channeled the whopping $1.89 million – a sum intended to be pardoned loans for supporting businesses through the storm of the pandemic – into personal investments and non-business related expenses.
A judge has responded to this flagrant violation of trust with a substantial sentence: Bui is to serve 18 months in federal prison.
Adding to the sting of his incarceration, Bui has also been instructed to pay back a significant amount, nearly $1.5 million, in restitution. This sequence of events serves as a stark reminder of the penalties that await those who seek to exploit systems put in place for public good.
