ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- A northern Virginia banker who admitted illegally receiving $1.4 million in fraudulently obtained coronavirus relief funds has been sentenced to a year in prison.
Tarik Jaafar was arrested in June at a New York airport after purchasing one-way tickets with his wife to Poland.
He pleaded guilty earlier this year in federal court in Alexandria.
After the judge imposed the prison term at Friday's hearing, Jaafar collapsed and had to helped out of the courtroom by marshals.
He admitted filing 18 different loan applications using various shell companies under a federal program meant for businesses struggling under the coronavirus pandemic.
He sought $6.6 million and received $1.4 million. Prosecutors say the money has been recovered.
Jaafar's wife will be sentenced next week.
