LA Man in $27 Million COVID Relief Fraud Sentenced to 11 Years

U.S. dollars banknotes are seen in a file photo. Ozan Kose/Getty Images

LOS ANGELES—An Encino man was sentenced July 19 to 11 years and three months behind bars for attempting to bilk the federal coronavirus Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) out of $27 million by submitting more than two dozen bogus applications for loans.

Robert Benlevi, 53, was also ordered to pay $3 million in restitution, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).