Matthew Johnson, MD, an oral surgeon in Mooresville, N.C., has been indicted by a federal grand jury for a fraudulent loan scheme and tax evasion.
Dr. Johnson orchestrated a scheme that defrauded the U.S. Small Business Administration of more than $3 million, according to a Nov. 17 news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Western District of North Carolina.
From August 2018 to November 2021, Dr. Johnson allegedly submitted a loan application for his practice and his real estate business that contained false information, including the status of his personal and business taxes and outstanding tax debts.
Dr. Johnson allegedly used the funds of the loan for personal expenses including travel, cash withdrawals and home improvement projects instead of spending the funds on his businesses.
In addition, the indictment alleges that Dr. Johnson committed tax evasion and failed to pay more than $615,000 he owed to the IRS for tax years 2013 through 2016.
The charges against Dr. Johnson are wire fraud, which has a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison, and tax evasion, which has a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison.
Each charge carries a maximum fine of $250,000 for each offense, the release said.