A Beninese businessman has been sentenced to seven years in a US federal prison after using a forged copy of his daughter’s birth certificate to falsely claim American citizenship and secure millions of dollars in pandemic relief funding.

Jose “Joe” Biaou, 42, was also ordered to repay more than $3.4 million (approximately KSh440 million) after a federal jury found him guilty of defrauding US government emergency assistance programmes.

The sentence was handed down on Tuesday, 10 November 2026, by a federal court in Washington, DC.

According to the US Department of Justice, Biaou obtained more than $3.5 million (approximately KSh450 million) through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) programme.

He had applied for more than $5 million in funding through two business entities, using false information about his identity, company operations and finances.

The case took an unusual turn when investigators established that Biaou had used a copy of his minor daughter's birth certificate to create a counterfeit document supporting his claim that he was a US citizen.

Prosecutors said he submitted the forged certificate in support of his EIDL applications.

The jury convicted him on 17 February 2026 of six counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.

How he used a false identity to secure millions

Biaou was the founder of FRB Capital Group LLC, a commercial real estate brokerage firm.

Investigators established that he repeatedly exaggerated the company's financial position when applying for pandemic assistance.

His applications contained inflated figures for the number of employees, monthly salaries, office rent and other business expenses.

He also attempted to have one of the PPP loans forgiven by submitting misleading information about how the money had been spent.

But the alleged fraud extended beyond the financial records of his main business.

Biaou also secured $1.25 million (about KSh161 million) in PPP funding through another entity, Millenium Global Finance.

In the application, he claimed the company employed 52 people and had an average monthly payroll exceeding $520,000 throughout 2019.

However, the US Department of Justice said the entity was not a genuine operating business and had no employees or business operations.

The government said Biaou ultimately received more than $3.5 million from the two programmes after submitting applications worth more than $5 million.

Court orders repayment of KSh440 million

Besides the seven-year prison sentence, US District Judge Christopher R. Cooper ordered Biaou to pay $3,417,542.77 in restitution.

He will also serve 24 months under supervised release after completing his prison term.

US Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro said the sentence reflected the seriousness of the deception used to obtain public funds.

“Mr Biaou built his scheme on lies — lies about his business, his finances, even his identity. This sentence reflects the seriousness of his fraud and the consequences that follow,” Pirro said.

She added that the government would pursue people who took advantage of emergency assistance programmes during the pandemic.

“Stealing emergency relief funds is stealing from the American people and those who exploit a national crisis for personal gain will be held fully accountable,” she said.

The investigation was conducted by the Washington Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant US Attorney Sungtae Kang prosecuted the case.

Why the Covid relief programmes became a target for fraud

The case highlights the difficulties governments faced in distributing emergency financial assistance quickly during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The US established the Paycheck Protection Program to help businesses retain workers and meet payroll expenses during the economic disruption.

The Economic Injury Disaster Loan programme provided financial assistance to businesses experiencing economic losses because of the pandemic.

Both programmes were administered through the Small Business Administration, with the PPP delivered through participating lenders.

The speed and scale of the relief effort also created opportunities for fraudulent applications, including claims involving businesses that did not exist or had far fewer employees than declared.

Biaou's case is among the prosecutions brought by US authorities over the misuse of pandemic assistance.

The sentencing sends a warning that emergency funding obtained through false identities, fabricated business records and misleading financial claims can lead to lengthy prison terms and substantial repayment orders.