Falls Church Man Admits To Stealing Millions In Covid-relief Money: Feds

A 36-year-old Falls Church man faces up to five years in prison after he admitted this week to taking part in a conspiracy that stole millions in federal money earmarked for COVID relief, the Department of Justice said.

The U.S. Attorney said Fouzi Darakhshan was part of a conspiracy that stole more than $3 million in COVID-relief funds through fake loan applications using falsified records.
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Josh Lanier

06/02/2022 12:04 p.m.

Fouzi Darakhshan pleaded guilty on Tuesday, May 31, to lying on applications to obtain Paycheck Protection Program loans and other federal programs, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Darakhshan, his brother, and several friends took part in a scheme that siphoned more than $3 million from those funds, federal authorities contend.

The U.S. Attorney's Office said they used shell companies they controlled as fronts to apply for 63 loans. Investigators uncovered a WhatsApp group where they discussed faking tax records, inflating the number of employees, revenue, and payroll figures, the news release said. Seventeen of their applications were approved.

Several other people have already pleaded guilty to taking part in this conspiracy. They include Foad Darakhshan, 46, of McLean; Haleh Farshi, 44, of Ashburn; Farough Darakhshan, 39, of Great Falls; Shoughi Darakhshan, 30, of McLean; and Marcus Gharib, 29, of Tysons, the DOJ said.

A federal judge will sentence them in the coming months. They each face five years in prison, full restitution, and forfeiture, the news release said.

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