Latest news with #SanBernardino-based
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
U.S. border agent is charged in COVID-19 business loan fraud scheme, authorities say
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer was arrested after he allegedly used two sham businesses to illegally request and receive nearly $150,000 from a COVID-19 pandemic relief program intended for small-business owners, authorities said this week. Amer Aldarawsheh, 45, was indicted Wednesday on five counts of wire fraud. He is accused of intentionally misleading the U.S. Small Business Administration and mishandling loan funds, according to the U.S. attorney's office. He has pleaded not guilty. In 2020 and 2021, prosecutors say, the Moreno Valley man applied for loans under the SBA's Economic Injury Disaster Loan program on behalf of two businesses: Nahar Enterprises Inc., which was described as a San Bernardino-based trucking and freight company; and Ameral, a purported automotive repair company. However, investigators later found that neither company had "substantial business or employees," according to a statement from the U.S. attorney's office. Read more: San Diego restaurant owners charged with COVID-relief fraud, money laundering "Aldarawsheh knowingly misappropriated and misused the EIDL funds he received from the SBA for his own personal benefit," federal prosecutors alleged in the statement, citing a December 2020 transfer of almost $150,000 in loan funds to a bank account they said was "under his control." Aldarawsheh, who is facing a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison, was released on $30,000 bond, authorities said. A representative from U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not immediately respond to a request for comment about his employment status. The Small Business Administration has estimated that, in an effort to more quickly distribute relief, it gave out more than $200 billion in potentially fraudulent funds through its COVID-19-era disaster loan programs. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
25-04-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
U.S. border agent is charged in COVID-19 business loan fraud scheme, authorities say
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer was arrested after he allegedly used two sham businesses to illegally request and receive nearly $150,000 from a COVID-19 pandemic relief program intended for small-business owners, authorities said this week. Amer Aldarawsheh, 45, was indicted Wednesday on five counts of wire fraud. He is accused of intentionally misleading the U.S. Small Business Administration and mishandling loan funds, according to the U.S. attorney's office. He has pleaded not guilty. In 2020 and 2021, prosecutors say, the Moreno Valley man applied for loans under the SBA's Economic Injury Disaster Loan program on behalf of two businesses: Nahar Enterprises Inc., which was described as a San Bernardino-based trucking and freight company; and Ameral, a purported automotive repair company. However, investigators later found that neither company had 'substantial business or employees,' according to a statement from the U.S. attorney's office. 'Aldarawsheh knowingly misappropriated and misused the EIDL funds he received from the SBA for his own personal benefit,' federal prosecutors alleged in the statement, citing a December 2020 transfer of almost $150,000 in loan funds to a bank account they said was 'under his control.' Aldarawsheh, who is facing a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison, was released on $30,000 bond, authorities said. A representative from U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not immediately respond to a request for comment about his employment status. The Small Business Administration has estimated that, in an effort to more quickly distribute relief, it gave out more than $200 billion in potentially fraudulent funds through its COVID-19-era disaster loan programs.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
CBP officer from Inland Empire charged with pandemic fraud
A Moreno Valley man who works as a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer has been arrested for alleged pandemic-related fraud. The United States Department of Justice said Amer Aldarawsheh, 45, faces five counts of wire fraud after he 'fraudulently obtained nearly $150,000 in COVID-19 pandemic business-relief loan funds for two of his sham businesses.' Those businesses — Nahar Enterprises Inc., a San Bernardino-based trucking and freight company, and Ameral, an automotive repair company — were the subject of 'false statements' Aldarawsheh made to the Small Business Administration while he was seeking COVID-19-relief loans. Despite neither company having 'substantial business or employees,' Aldarawsheh received the loans, which 'were supposed to be used by the recipient to only pay certain authorized business expenses,' the DOJ said. 'Instead, Aldarawsheh knowingly misappropriated and misused the … funds he received from the SBA for his own personal benefit,' including nearly $150,000 that was wired from the SBA to an account controlled by Aldarawsheh, the DOJ said. Aldarawsheh was arrested Wednesday and pleaded not guilty to all charges that afternoon. He was released on $30,000 bail and is due back in court on June 16. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each fraud count. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
07-03-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Southern California grocer Stater Bros. lays off 63 employees, citing inflation
The Southern California grocery chain, Stater Bros., is laying off 63 employees as a response to what the company says is inflation, tariffs and the inability to compete with nonunionized stores. The first store opened in Yucaipa in 1936, and this is the first time the San Bernardino-based company has issued layoffs. Spanning four stores, 63 courtesy clerks are losing their jobs in Grand Terrace, Ontario, Costa Mesa and Orange, In a recorded video, CEO and Chairman of the Board, Pete Van Helden, said the reason was inflation. "In the last four years, we've seen significant inflation, more than I've ever seen in my career." He said retail prices are 30% higher now than they were four years ago. "That's a big impact to our customers. That means that it's now costing them $130 to buy the same groceries that they could buy for $100." Customers are buying less, and have turned to shop at lower-priced, nonunion stores according to Van Helden. With the new tariffs announced, Van Helden said he is "very worried" about effects, specifically more price increases. In efforts to hold pricing, he said the company is making "tough decisions" and is cutting operation costs by laying off employees. "I'm pretty sure in the future, we will have to continue to reduce the number of jobs in this company, it's a fact," Van Helden said.
Los Angeles Times
06-03-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
Stater Bros. lays off dozens of clerks for the first time in 89 years
Stater Bros. Markets has laid off dozens of clerks in its Southern California stores for the first time in its 89-year history, blaming inflation and tariffs for its decision. 'I don't think it's any secret that in the last four years, we've seen significant inflation, more than I've ever seen in my career,' Chief Executive Pete Van Helden said in a video explaining the move to lay off 63 clerks among four Southern California stores, announced Feb. 17. 'With the recent announcements of new tariffs and probably more tariffs to come, it's quite likely that inflation is going to take off even above the 4.5% we're seeing now. I'm very worried about that,' he said, referring to recent moves by President Trump to place — and then roll back— tariffs on Canada and Mexico. Retail prices at the San Bernardino-based grocery chain went up by about 30% in the last four years, Van Helden said, leading customers to choose lower-cost grocery stores like Walmart, Aldi, Target, Sprouts and Dollar Tree. 'The other common thing is that they're all non-union, and frankly, that's how they sell their products at a lower price. They pay their teammates less. They pay less benefits and they take that savings and they plow it into pricing,' Van Helden said. Courtesy clerks at Stater Bros. across their 169 supermarkets bag groceries, help customers to their cars and clean checkout stands, according to the local United Food and Commercial Workers Union chapter that represents them. 'Many courtesy clerks have special needs and are long-term employees with limited employment alternatives,' a Wednesday release from the UFCW 324 chapter said. 'Laying off the lowest paid workers in the stores won't save Stater Bros. any money, but it's accomplished one thing — showing workers that their company no longer thinks of them like family,' Andrea Zinder, president of UFCW 324, said in the statement. About 20 years ago, Van Helden said, 90% of Southern California grocery stores were unionized. It's now fallen to 35%, and customers have changed their shopping habits to prefer large, non-union box stores over time. 'The enemy for Stater Bros., the enemy for you, I think, is the non-union competition. That's who we're really fighting against,' he said. Instead of continuing to raise prices to keep up, the company chose to lower the cost of operations through layoffs and other cost-saving measures in a bid to keep prices competitive. 'The intention is to take the cost reduction from those 63 jobs and hold the line on pricing, accept those cost of goods increases and not raise our prices if we can,' Van Helden said. He signaled that future layoffs were almost a guarantee: 'I'm pretty certain that in the future we're going to have to continue to reduce the number of jobs in this company. It's a fact.' About 150 workers and union leaders picketed Wednesday at an affected Costa Mesa Stater Bros. store to protest the layoffs, arguing that the move wasn't about saving money to protect the chain from going under but to chill ongoing labor contract talks. Bargaining for a new contract with Stater Bros. starts Thursday. 'This action only serves to intimidate union members currently undergoing contract negotiations with the company from demanding what they deserve,' Zinder said in the statement. A representative for Stater Bros. could not be reached for comment.
