Former Virginia state Delegate Ibraheem Samirah made headlines in 2019 when he disrupted a speech that was being given by President Donald Trump.

The Democratic ex-lawmaker drew public attention once again late last month after a judge sentenced him for engaging in fraud. 

Samirah illegally obtained $83,000 worth of COVID relief funds

According to the Daily Caller, a federal judge gave Samirah three years probation and ordered him to pay $88,000 worth of restitution on October 30.

The sentence was handed down after he pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud which was related to a COVID relief scheme he implemented just over five years ago.

Specifically, Samirah obtained some $83,000 in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan funds in May of 2020. This was done via the creation of fake payroll and tax records at his NOVA Healthy Smiles dental practice.

Samirah's false documentation was submitted as part of a claim that he had four employees despite having no account to pay employees until just days before the application was made.

Former lawmaker spent PPP money on personal items, applied for loan forgiveness

Samirah subsequently transferred the ill-gotten money to his own bank account and spent it on personal items rather than business expenses. He later applied for loan forgiveness in August of the following year.

Virginia Democrat Who Went Viral Protesting Trump Sentenced For COVID Fraud https://t.co/I0ojVBIyw3 via @dailycaller

— Julie Perry (@Julie4Senate) November 12, 2025

“[T]he defendant was stealing federal tax dollars at the same time he was deciding how to spend Virginia tax dollars,” federal prosecutors were quoted as saying.

The prosecutors further highlighted the irony of Samirah "stealing federal tax dollars at the same time he was deciding how to spend Virginia tax dollars."

Samirah says he was targeted for a "weaponized" prosecution by the Trump DOJ

For his part, Samirah told the Washington Post that his actions simply stemmed from "mistaken understanding of the PPP loan process."

What's more, the former state delegate maintained that he has been the victim of a "weaponized" prosecution carried out "by Donald Trump’s Justice Department."

Samirah further likened his situation to that of former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, both of whom have been indicted by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in recent months.

Nevertheless, he did admit to making an "extremely poor decision," something which he blamed on "financial stressors" along with the fear that he would lose his dental practice.