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Charges: Minneapolis woman pocketed millions in PPP loan scheme

WCCO digital update: Afternoon headlines from Nov. 15, 2022
WCCO digital update: Afternoon headlines from Nov. 15, 2022 01:02

MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis woman faces seven counts of wire fraud in connection to fraud schemes, including one involving a PPP loan.

The U.S. Department of Justice says Khemwattie Singh, 52, was CEO of a Minnesota-based healthcare solutions company called Global Medical Services (GMS). Singh and other members of the company entered into factoring contracts with a Florida-based investment company to buy GMS's accounts receivable for more than $2 million.

Singh is accused of not paying that company more than $5 million in subsequent receivables, funneling the money to overseas accounts and shell companies.

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The Florida company eventually sued GMS, which then was shuttered and dropped all of its employees from its payroll.

The DOJ says Singh then "submitted a false and misleading application for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds" in the company's name in 2020 for $383,408 – claiming the company had 40 employees and an average monthly payroll of more than $150,000.

In total, Singh received almost $300,000 in PPP funds, $116,600 of which was transferred to her own bank account to pay for "a home loan and credit card payments."

Singh made her initial appearance Monday in U.S. District Court.

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