A United States Customs and Border Protection officer is facing charges after being arrested for fraudulently obtaining nearly $150,000 in COVID-19 relief funds, the Justice Department reported today. The 45-year-old Moreno Valley resident, Amer Aldarawsheh, allegedly used sham businesses to leverage aid meant for those financially disrupted by the pandemic.
On Wednesday, Aldarawsheh was indicted on five counts of wire fraud and subsequently pleaded not guilty to all charges in a Los Angeles federal court. Despite the serious nature of the allegations, the federal magistrate judge decided to set Aldarawsheh free on a $30,000 bond and to swiftly schedule his next court appearance for June 16 in Riverside.
The indictment reveals that between July 2020 and December 2021, Aldarawsheh applied for Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) funds on behalf of two businesses—Nahar Enterprises Inc. and Ameral—neither of which maintained substantial operations or workforce. These loans were part of federal assistance passed under the 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, aiming to support small businesses hit by the COVID-19 outbreak.
However, instead of channeling the money to legitimate business expenses, Aldarawsheh is accused of having intentionally misdirected the funds for his personal use, including a transaction where $149,900 in EIDL loan money was wired directly to his bank account. If convicted for these acts, the CBP officer could face a maximum of 20 years in prison per count, underlining the potential severity of the misuse of public trust and funds.
The case against Aldarawsheh is being handled by the United States Customs and Border Protection Office of Professional Responsibility, with investigative assistance from the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. According to a statement obtained by the Justice Department, Assistant United States Attorneys Laura A. Alexander and Michael J. Morse are tasked with the prosecution.
