The owner of two California trucking companies admitted to committing fraud in order to obtain loans that were used to purchase agricultural land in Fresno County.

On May 27, Gurjeet Bath, 37, of Fresno, pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government property, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California.

“According to court documents, Bath and other family members operated two trucking businesses: G.S. Bath Inc. and Complete Transportation Solutions (CTS), operating in Fresno County. In 2020 and 2021, Bath applied for and received three PPP loans totaling over $1 million. To obtain the loans, Bath knowingly falsified records to inflate his businesses’ employees and their wages. Bath then used approximately $600,000 of those funds to purchase two parcels of agricultural land in Fresno County,” officials said.

Bath is scheduled for sentencing on October 6, 2025. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Inspector General.