Ribal Hajj-Hussein, Wire Fraud, Nevada 2022

LAS VEGAS, NV – Ribal Hajj-Hussein, 28, of Las Vegas, is facing serious federal charges after allegedly scamming the Small Business Administration (SBA) out of over $150,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. The indictment, unsealed yesterday, details a brazen scheme to exploit the CARES Act for personal gain, highlighting the ongoing problem of pandemic-related fraud.

Hajj-Hussein is charged with one count of wire fraud and two counts of money laundering. According to court documents, the alleged fraud centered around a falsified application for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) submitted on behalf of his company, RHH Travel Consulting LLC. Investigators say the company was essentially a shell, non-operational when the application was filed on April 14, 2020.

The indictment alleges Hajj-Hussein deliberately misrepresented the number of employees and the gross revenue of RHH Travel Consulting LLC in order to qualify for the EIDL. Once the SBA deposited over $150,000 into a bank account controlled by Hajj-Hussein, the funds weren’t used for legitimate business expenses, but rather diverted for his personal use, according to prosecutors.

“This wasn’t a case of a struggling business genuinely needing assistance,” a source close to the investigation told Grimy Times. “This was a calculated attempt to exploit a crisis and line his own pockets. The audacity of claiming funds for a company that didn’t even operate is particularly egregious.” The investigation was a joint effort between the U.S. Secret Service and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.

If convicted on all charges, Hajj-Hussein faces a statutory maximum sentence of 40 years in prison. U.S. Magistrate Judge Brenda Weksler has scheduled a jury trial for October 17, 2022, before U.S. District Judge James C. Mahan. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada, led by Jason M. Frierson, is prosecuting the case, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Mina Chang leading the charge. Special Agent in Charge Karon Ransom of the U.S. Secret Service also announced the indictment.

This case is part of a broader initiative by the Department of Justice’s COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force, established by the Attorney General to combat pandemic-related fraud. Authorities urge anyone with information about potential COVID-19 fraud to report it to the National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via their web complaint form. Remember, an indictment is not a finding of guilt; Hajj-Hussein is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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