Miami hotel mogul Amin Suliaman, 47, is facing federal charges for allegedly scamming the government out of $450,000 in COVID-19 relief loans.
A federal grand jury in Colorado indicted Suliaman on four counts of wire fraud, alleging he submitted false applications for COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) from the Small Business Administration (SBA) between August 2020 and May 2022.
As part of the scheme, Suliaman claimed his companies were inoperable or closed, despite owning or co-owning several Colorado-based businesses, including Nativ Denver and the Nativ Hotel Group. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act provided emergency financial assistance to Americans affected by the pandemic.
The CARES Act authorized the SBA to provide EIDLs to eligible small businesses experiencing financial disruptions. Suliaman’s companies received $450,000 in loan funding as a result of his false representations.
The case is being investigated by the United States Secret Service, with Assistant United States Attorney Craig Fansler leading the prosecution. The COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force, established by the Attorney General in 2021, will also assist in the investigation.
Suliaman made his initial appearance in Miami on May 14, 2024, in front of Judge Marty Fulgeira Elfenbein. A future court date will be set in Colorado. Suliaman is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The case highlights the ongoing efforts to combat COVID-19-related financial fraud. In July 2023, the Attorney General selected the District of Colorado’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to head one of five national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form
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Key Facts
- State: Colorado
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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