A customs agent and American border protection was arrested after alleging two simulated companies allegedly to illegally request and receive nearly $ 150,000 from a COVVI-19 pandemic rescue program intended for small businesses, the authorities announced this week.
Amer Aldarawsheh, 45, was charged on Wednesday for five Fraud leaders per thread. He is accused of having intentionally induced the Small Business Administration of the United States and to misunderstand the loan funds, according to the American lawyer’s office.
He pleaded not guilty.
In 2020 and 2021, according to the prosecutors, the man of Moreno Valley asked for loans as part of the SBA economic injury loan program on behalf of two companies: Nahar Enterprises Inc., which was described as a truck and freight company based in San Bernardino; And ameral, an alleged automotive repair company.
However, the investigators later noted that none of the two companies had “a company or important employees,” said a statement from the US prosecutor’s office.
“Aldarawsheh knowingly diverted and abused EIDL funds which he received from SBA for his own personal advantage,” alleged federal prosecutors in the press release, quoting a transfer of December 2020 of almost $ 150,000 in loan funds to a bank account which, according to them, was “under his control”.
Aldarawsheh, who faces a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison, was released on bail of $ 30,000, the authorities said. The special customs officer for customs and protection of American border in charge Todd Siegel, the agency’s professional liability office of Los Angeles, did not answer questions about the employment status of Adarawsheh, but said in a statement that the agency “takes all the allegations of misconduct and criminal by its employees”.
Small Business Administration has estimated This, in an effort to distribute the emergency services more quickly, he gave more than $ 200 billion in potentially fraudulent funds thanks to his loan programs in the event of a COVVI-19 era disaster.