HOUSTON, Texas — Four companies and their three owners have agreed to pay $2.65 million to settle allegations of submitting false claims for federally funded loans under the Paycheck Protection Program, according to U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. The settlement resolves claims brought under the False Claims Act following a whistleblower lawsuit filed by a Houston-area realtor in October 2021.

Carnegie Homes & Construction LLC and Signature Collection Inc., both involved in designing and building luxury homes, are owned by Ram Gupta and Arpan Gupta, respectively. The Everstone Group, which provides consulting and construction services, is directed by Sapna Patel, who also owns The Mosaic Group LLC. The allegations claim that the Guptas and Patel falsely reported payroll costs, misrepresented employee numbers, and falsified loan purposes, resulting in ineligible claims for payment to the United States. They also allegedly submitted false information for loan forgiveness.

“Those who misuse federal programs to falsely obtain public funds are stealing from the American people,” said Ganjei. “This settlement reflects our commitment to recovering ill-gotten gains and vindicating the interests of the taxpayer.”

Acting Special Agent in Charge Michelle Blank of the SBA-Office of Inspector General emphasized the importance of protecting taxpayer dollars, stating, “This $2.65 million settlement underscores that misuse of PPP funds will be pursued, and SBA-OIG will continue...

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