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According to a release from the DOJ, 53-year-old Robert Benlevi submitted 27 Paycheck Protection Program loan applications to four banks between April and June of 2022 on behalf of eight companies he owned. The DOJ said he sought a total of $27m in forgivable PPP loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act.
Three of Benlevi’s companies received $3 million in PPP funds, according to the DOJ. Instead of using the funds to pay for payroll and other business expenses, the evidence reportedly showed that he instead used the money to pay for personal expenses which included cash withdrawals, personal credit card payments and even renting an oceanfront apartment in Santa Monica, California. Some amounts of money were transferred from the business account to personal and business accounts he controlled.
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