Former NYPD Detective Gets 48 Months for $415,000 PPP Fraud

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — John Bolden, a former New York City Police Department detective, was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison Tuesday for his role in a wire fraud conspiracy that obtained Paycheck Protection Program loans he was not entitled to receive.

Bolden pleaded guilty on Feb. 18, 2026. U.S. District Judge Diane Gujarati imposed the sentence in the Eastern District of New York and ordered him to pay $303,138 in restitution and forfeit $112,002, according to the Justice Department. The combined monetary penalties total $415,140.

The Paycheck Protection Program, administered by the Small Business Administration, issued forgivable loans to businesses and nonprofit organizations to maintain payroll and operations during COVID-19 shutdowns. More than $800 billion was disbursed nationwide under the program before it closed to new applications.

The sentence moves Bolden from active duty with the NYPD to immediate incarceration. He must begin serving the term after any remaining administrative processes conclude. The restitution order requires repayment of the full amount fraudulently obtained, while the forfeiture covers proceeds and property traceable to the offense.

Downstream, the judgment triggers collection efforts by the Justice Department and probation office to recover the funds. It also closes this specific case file within the broader PPP fraud enforcement initiative that has produced hundreds of convictions since 2021.

Federal agencies continue to cross-reference PPP loan records against public payroll and employment data to identify additional fraudulent applications.

This sentencing follows Bolden's guilty plea earlier this year in the same Brooklyn federal court. The Justice Department has pursued similar cases against public employees, business owners and intermediaries who submitted false payroll documentation to obtain PPP loans intended for legitimate small-business relief.