LOS ANGELES – A Lakewood person was arrested on a federal felony complaint submitted currently alleging he threatened to bomb Small Company Administration (SBA) workplaces and then, the next calendar year, assault SBA staff members in reaction to his incapability to attain COVID-19 emergency enterprise financial loans.
Christopher Joseph Antoun, 29, was arrested Saturday on a complaint charging him with 1 count of making threats by interstate conversation. He made his preliminary overall look this afternoon in United States District Courtroom in downtown Los Angeles, wherever he was ordered jailed devoid of bond. His arraignment is scheduled for December 10.
In accordance to an affidavit submitted with the criticism, Antoun owns Federal College student Loan Consulting LLC, a company he operates out of his Lakewood residence. In early 2020, Antoun attempted to obtain a COVID-19 Crisis Injury Disaster Bank loan (EIDL). These loans offer obtainable and borrower-welcoming cash to small firms impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
On May 3, 2020, right after he unsuccessful to obtain acceptance for an EIDL personal loan or an advance from the SBA, Antoun allegedly despatched an e mail to an SBA-monitored electronic mail account and wrote, in portion, “IT GOES INTO MY Lender ACCOUNT TONIGHT OR I Start off BOMBING Each and every Location OWNED BY THE SBA.” An SBA bank loan officer in Texas been given Antoun’s electronic mail and contacted legislation enforcement, according to the affidavit.
Regulation enforcement visited Antoun at his home, where by he said he was significant on cannabis and drunk on liquor when he sent the threatening email and experienced no intent of carrying out the danger, and regulation enforcement afterwards gave him a warning, in accordance to the affidavit.
During the summer and fall of 2021, Antoun once more tried to get SBA-backed loans and financial loan innovations. Adhering to problem in obtaining the loans and innovations, Antoun on November 19 allegedly sent an e mail to quite a few SBA personnel. In that e-mail, Antoun threatened to wander into the SBA’s Los Angeles district workplace “with my nice shiny bat” and “start beating the skulls of SBA staff members in. As soon as the law enforcement or whoever it is inevitably stops me im [sic] likely to go to jail,” the affidavit states.
If convicted, Antoun would experience a statutory most sentence of 5 yrs in federal jail.
A grievance contains allegations that a defendant has dedicated a criminal offense. Each and every defendant is presumed harmless right until and except if verified guilty over and above a fair question.
The United States Office of Homeland Security’s Federal Protecting Support investigated this subject.
Assistant United States Legal professional Jason C. Pang of the Intercontinental Narcotics, Dollars Laundering, and Racketeering Portion is prosecuting this case.
