Kukaj Pleads Guilty to PPP Loan Fraud and Threat and Gets 70 to 87 Deal, No Redaction

 

By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Maxwell Book
BBC - Guardian UK - Honduras - ESPN

SDNY COURTROOM EXCLUSIVE, Nov 1 -  In the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on November 1, defendant Besim Kukaj appeared before Judge Andrew L. Carter to plead guilty to two charges. Inner City Press was there:

Kukaj is charged with a scheme to obtain $3.5 million in Paycheck Protection Program Loans and making interstate threats to a victim to whom he owed money.

Plea deal is for 70 to 87 months.

In allocution he says he used his restaurants

Q: Once released on bail in Oct 2020, did you continue to file false PPP loan applications? Defendant: Yes.

Q: Which banks? A: PNC, and Empire Bank in Orange County.

[Judge Carter noted that he owns stock in JPM Chase where his wife used to work as a lawyer, and BONY Mellon, where she now works.]

Count 2: Defendant had another say, Close yr f-ing mouth or I will. AUSA: Victim was in Manhattan

Plea accepted Sentencing March 9, 2 pm.

Afterward Judge Carter asked if either side wanted to redact the name of the man who made the threat. Neither did - he was charged with the conduct.

The docket shows he is Abduraman Iseni, and he's currently applying for compassionate release.

The case is US v. Kukaj, et al., 20-cr-660 (Carter)

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