A Woodbridge resident 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 from David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut.
Yasir G. Hamed, 60, received his sentence from U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport. In addition to his prison term, Hamed will serve three years of supervised release and must pay $2,384,772 in restitution.
Court documents show that Hamed exploited the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which was created under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to provide forgivable loans to small businesses affected by the pandemic. The PPP was overseen by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), with private lenders issuing and processing loan applications.
Hamed, an accountant with ownership or representative 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 inflated employee numbers and payroll amounts on these applications and provided false tax filings that had not been submitted to the IRS.
In some cases, Hamed also applied for PPP loans on behalf of companies owned by his clients. He convinced at least one business owner—whose company was inactive and had no employees—to seek funding through the program, prepared the necessary paperwork, and took a large portion of the resulting loan funds.
Through these actions, Hamed secured over $2.3 million in PPP loans for himself and his clients. He personally received more than $1 million from these proceeds as well as substantial kickbacks from clients. The funds were used for personal expenses such as educational costs for a family member and a down payment on an $880,000 house in Woodbridge purchased in October 2020.
Hamed was arrested on November 13, 2024, and pleaded guilty on May 9, 2025, to one count of bank fraud and one count of engaging in illegal monetary transactions. He is currently out on a $500,000 bond but must report to prison on January 28.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher W. Schmeisser prosecuted the case.
Individuals who have information about possible COVID-19 related fraud are encouraged to contact the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or submit a complaint online at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
