BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — A dentist who practiced in Bakersfield and Santa Barbara pleaded guilty to stealing COVID relief money on Mon, Aug 21.
Ranjan Rajbanshi, 46, was accused of stealing $500,000 in COVID relief funds and using it for "improper personal expenditures." According to United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert, Rajbanshi's personal spending included investments.
According to the US Department of Justice, Rajbanshi received $850,000 in COVID relief funds from the Small Business Administration and the US Department of Health and Human Services between April 2020 and February 2022. The DOJ claims that Rajbanshi told the federal government that he would be using the funds for "specified business purposes such as facility costs, payroll, and protective equipment for him and his staff."
Rajbanshi is expected to be sentenced on Mon, Dec 4. He has agreed to pay back $500,000 to the federal government before his sentencing.
