QUEENS, NY – Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Papa Diakhate, 54, of Astoria Boulevard in East Elmhurst, has been sentenced to one to three years in prison.
Diakhate was found guilty of grand larceny for misappropriating over $1 million in Federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds.
He pleaded guilty in December and was sentenced by Supreme Court Justice Jerry Iannece.
Diakhate fraudulently obtained the funds for two non-existent businesses and spent over $350,000 on personal expenses, including luxury items and travel.
The investigation, led by NYPD Detective Investigator Jean Remy and Queens County District Attorney forensic accountant Vivian Tunnicliff, uncovered the misuse of the funds intended for business operations and employee retention during the pandemic.
