Chinese man gets over 4 years in prison for pandemic fraud
By LARRY NEUMEISTER
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — A Chinese man has been sentenced to more than four years in prison after he admitted he fraudulently tried to get $20 million in federal coronavirus-relief funds that were supposed to aid distressed businesses. U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman announced the four year, four month prison term for Muge Ma at a sentencing hearing Thursday in Manhattan. The judge said the prison term was necessary because of the seriousness of the crimes and the need for others to be warned against abusing programs meant to help people in a national emergency. Ma, jailed since his May 2020 arrest, repeatedly said he was sorry.