Uber and Lyft drivers duped in $61K relief fraud case
BROOKLYN, NY – A Long Island man has been indicted on multiple felony charges for allegedly defrauding New York’s Empire State Development grant program and pocketing more than $61,000 by submitting falsified tax documents on behalf of Brooklyn workers.
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez and New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang announced Tuesday that 34-year-old Lasha Bukia of Riverhead was arraigned on a 25-count indictment before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun. He faces charges including second-degree larceny, falsifying business records, offering a false instrument for filing, and scheme to defraud. Bukia was released without bail and is due back in court on December 3.
Investigators say that between November 2021 and October 2022, Bukia prepared and submitted fraudulent grant applications for nine Brooklyn residents, including Uber and Lyft drivers and home health aides. The victims ultimately received $369,000 in state relief funds, but prosecutors allege Bukia altered their tax documents to inflate income, making them appear eligible for larger grants. He then collected $61,000 from the recipients without their knowledge that the applications had been falsified.
The grants, created during the COVID-19 pandemic, were designed to help small businesses and workers cover expenses and lost income. Prosecutors say Bukia’s actions not only exploited vulnerable workers but also undermined a program critical to the state’s recovery efforts.
The case is being prosecuted by the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Public Integrity Bureau with support from the Investigations Division.
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Key Points
- Lasha Bukia, 34, of Riverhead indicted on 25 counts for ESD grant fraud
- Prosecutors say he falsified tax documents for nine Brooklyn workers, pocketing $61,000
- Defendant due back in Brooklyn Supreme Court on December 3, released without bail
