Sandeep S. Walia, MD, a Professional Medical Corporation (Walia PMC), and Sandeep S. Walia, MD, the corporation’s owner and president, have agreed to pay a combined $70,000 in damages and penalties to resolve allegations that they knowingly made a false statement to obtain a loan under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. As part of the settlement, Walia PMC also agreed to repay the $430,000 PPP loan that it obtained because of the false statement, with interest. The settlement resolves allegations that Dr. Walia falsely certified to a PPP lender that his medical practice had not received a PPP loan after it had already received one for approximately $280,000 from a different lender. As a result, Walia PMC obtained a second PPP loan for $430,000, to which it was not entitled. Walia PMC did not seek forgiveness for the $430,000 loan, but its false statement caused a false claim to be made to the SBA for processing fees. This settlement resolves allegations that Walia and Walia PMC’s conduct violated the False Claims Act, which allows the government to recover damages and penalties for the presentation of false claims for payment to the United States. Walia and Walia PMC cooperated fully with the investigation.
