LOS ANGELES – A Lakewood man is cooling his heels in federal custody after allegedly escalating his frustration over denied COVID-19 relief funds into credible threats against the Small Business Administration. Christopher Joseph Antoun, 29, was arrested Saturday and is being held without bond, accused of threatening to bomb SBA offices and later, physically assault agency employees.
According to court documents, Antoun, who owns Federal Student Loan Consulting LLC and operates it from his Lakewood home, applied for a COVID-19 Emergency Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) in early 2020. When his application was denied, things took a dark turn. On May 3, 2020, Antoun allegedly sent a chilling email to an SBA account: “IT GOES INTO MY BANK ACCOUNT TONIGHT OR I START BOMBING EVERY LOCATION OWNED BY THE SBA.” An SBA loan officer in Texas immediately flagged the threat to law enforcement.
While initially questioned by authorities, Antoun reportedly claimed he was under the influence of marijuana and alcohol when he sent the email and insisted he wouldn’t act on it. He received a warning and was released. But the threats didn’t stop there. In late 2021, Antoun again sought SBA-backed loans, and when those attempts failed, he allegedly sent another menacing email – this time targeting individual employees.
On November 19, 2021, Antoun allegedly wrote to several SBA workers, threatening to enter the SBA’s Los Angeles district office “with my nice shiny bat” and “start beating the skulls of SBA staff in.” He even acknowledged the likely consequences, stating, “Once the police or whoever it is eventually stops me im [sic] going to go to jail.” This wasn’t a vague expression of anger; authorities deemed it a direct and credible threat.
Antoun is now facing one count of making threats by interstate communication, a federal offense carrying a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison. He made his initial appearance in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles and is scheduled for arraignment on December 10. The Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Protective Service led the investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Jason C. Pang of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section is prosecuting the case. It’s a stark reminder that even in the digital age, threats of violence carry real consequences. A complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime, and every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.”
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Key Facts
- State: California
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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