Prosecutors say a Virginia man fraudulently used the CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program to obtain a loan and purchase a luxury car and a small plane.
Didier Kindambu, 48, of Leesburg was charged with bank fraud on Tuesday by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Kindambu allegedly received two loans worth about $2.5 million and then used them to purchase a Lexus and a Cessna plane.
The CARES Act’s PPP was intended to provide relief for businesses suffering during the coronavirus pandemic, although authorities say Kindambu created fraudulent payroll documentation for two businesses he owned to receive the funds.
Kindambu’s LinkedIn page lists him as the president of Papillon Air Inc., a Leesburg-based charter and cargo company, and as the director general of another aviation company. The Cessna aircraft he allegedly purchased using the funds was seized by authorities on Tuesday at Leesburg Executive Airport, according to Fox News.
Kindambu’s attorney Kevin Carroll said he has not yet had the opportunity to speak with his client but called Kindambu “a respected businessman.”
“I have yet even been provided the charging document by the government,” Carroll said. “The government alleges one set of facts, and I’m eager to hear my client’s version of the story.”
Kindambu faces up to 30 years in federal prison and a $1 million fine if he is convicted.
