Metro Detroit Doctor Convicted Of $1.7M PPP Loan Fraud: Feds

SOUTHFIELD, MI — A federal jury convicted an Oakland County doctor of bank fraud last Thursday, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Detroit.

Reginald Eburuche, of Southfield, was found guilty of fraudulently obtaining a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan in July 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, for his start-up business Renovis Healthcare in Southfield.

Officials said the $1.7 million loan was used for his start-up business, Renovis Healthcare. He applied for the loan after failing to secure a line of credit for the business in 2019, officials said.

To get the loan, officials said Eburuche grossly inflated the number of employees and the average monthly payroll for his company. He also created and uploaded fake tax documents, which falsely backed his headcount and salary expenditures, officials said.

Officials seized and froze a large portion of the funds before the trial.

"When a licensed professional chooses fraud over integrity, the harm runs deeper than dollars," Jerome F. Gorgon, the interim U.S. attorney in Detroit, said in a statement. "Dr. Eburuche stole money meant to keep workers afloat during a time of crisis. This office will continue to pursue those who exploited these programs for personal gain."