A Woodbridge man has been sentenced to 32 months in federal prison for defrauding a COVID-19 pandemic relief program of more than $2.3 million, according to an announcement by David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut.
Yasir G. Hamed, 60, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport and will also serve three years of supervised release following his imprisonment.
Court documents indicate that the scheme involved fraudulent applications to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which was established under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to provide forgivable loans to small businesses affected by the pandemic. The PPP was managed by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and relied on private lenders to issue and process loan applications.
Hamed, an accountant with ties to several New Haven-based businesses—including Access Consulting and Professional Services Inc., Connecticut Medical Transportation Inc., Arabic Language Learning Program Inc., Institute for Global Educational Exchange Inc., Access Medical Transport Inc., Ikea Car & Limo Inc., Center of the World Tours North America LLC, and Sudanese American Friendship Association Inc.—submitted fraudulent PPP loan applications between June 2020 and September 2021. He overstated employee numbers, exaggerated payroll amounts, and provided false tax filings that were never submitted to the IRS.
Additionally, Hamed submitted PPP applications for companies owned by his clients. In at least one case, he convinced a business owner whose company had no employees or activity to apply for PPP funding; he prepared the paperwork and took a significant portion of the loan proceeds himself.
The scheme resulted in Hamed securing over $2.3 million in PPP loans for himself and his clients. He personally received more than $1 million from these loans as well as kickbacks from clients. The funds were used for personal expenses such as education costs for a family member and as a down payment on an $880,000 house purchased in Woodbridge in October 2020.
Judge Underhill ordered Hamed to pay restitution totaling $2,384,772.
Hamed was arrested on November 13, 2024. He pleaded guilty on May 9, 2025 to one count of bank fraud and one count of engaging in illegal monetary transactions.
He is currently released on a $500,000 bond and must report to prison on January 28.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher W. Schmeisser prosecuted the case.
Individuals with information about COVID-19 fraud are encouraged to contact the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or submit a complaint through its web form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
