A federal law enforcement officer has been indicted for allegedly fraudulently obtaining COVID-19 business-relief funds through shell companies, according to an announcement made by the Justice Department. Amer Aldarawsheh, a 45-year-old resident of Moreno Valley, faces five charges of wire fraud and has entered a plea of not guilty.
Aldarawsheh, who is reportedly a Customs and Border Protection officer, was apprehended on Wednesday and later released on a $30,000 bond by a federal magistrate judge in downtown Los Angeles. His next court appearance is scheduled for June 16 in Riverside.
As per the unsealed indictment, Aldarawsheh allegedly owned and managed two enterprises: Nahar Enterprises Inc., claimed to be a trucking and freight company based in San Bernardino, and Ameral, purportedly an automotive repair business.
The indictment suggests that from July 2020 to December 2021, Aldarawsheh provided false information to the Small Business Administration (SBA) to secure a loan under the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDL). The program, enacted under the CARES Act of 2020, was proposed to support small businesses experiencing significant financial disruptions due to the pandemic, offering loans up to $2 million.
Aldarawsheh allegedly requested EIDL loans for his companies, neither of which reportedly had significant business activities. Instead of using the funds for authorized business expenses, he allegedly used the money for personal purposes. This includes a financial transfer of $149,900 in SBA COVID-19 EIDL loan funds to a bank account he controlled in December 2020.
An indictment remains an allegation, and all defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Should Aldarawsheh be convicted, he could face a statutory maximum sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison per count.
The case has been investigated by multiple agencies, including the Customs and Border Protection Office of Professional Responsibility, the SBA Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Prosecutors for the case include Assistant United States Attorneys Laura A. Alexander and Michael J. Morse from the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section.