Ex-Denver hotel owner accused in federal indictment of COVID-19 wire fraud
DENVER (KDVR) — A federal grand jury in Colorado indicted a Miami-based businessman on four counts of wire fraud after he allegedly obtained COVID-19 relief loans by falsely representing his businesses.
Amin Suliaman, 47, was indicted on four counts of wire fraud and made his initial court appearance on May 14 in Miami. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado publicized the indictment in a press release on Thursday.
Federal prosecutors say Suliaman requested COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loans from the Small Business Administration, which were designed to help Americans experiencing financial hardships because of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the May 7 indictment, Suliaman is accused of obtaining $450,000 by falsely representing his businesses.
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This included making statements to the SBA that he had employees for various businesses he owned, but conversely reporting to the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment and Internal Revenue Service that he did not collect any revenue, have any employees or issue any wages.
The indictment alleges that some of Suliaman’s businesses used to certify loans were not even in operation, and he had sold the properties. According to the release, Suliaman owned or co-owned several Colorado-based businesses, including Nativ Denver, the Nativ Hotel Group, The Loft Brokers Inc., Wazee Group LLC and KDA Properties, among others.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Suliaman began to request the COVID-19 loans in August 2020 and continued until around May 2022.
Future court dates will be in Colorado, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Each of the four counts was cited to specific dates in the indictment, ranging from Nov. 13, 2020, to May 22, 2022.
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The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado was selected in July 2023 by the U.S. Attorney General to lead one of five national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The teams focus on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations or transnational actors, in addition to groups that committed “multiple instances of pandemic relief fraud,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Anyone with information about attempted COVID-19 fraud can report it by calling the National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, or online through the NCDF Complaint Form.
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