LOS ANGELES (KNX) — A Lakewood man has agreed to plead guilty to a federal charge alleging he threatened to bomb U.S. Small Business Administration offices.
Christopher Antoun, 30, owned Federal Student Loan Consulting LLC, a company operated out of his home. He reportedly attempted to obtain a COVID-19 Emergency Injury Disaster Loan two years ago, according to court filings. The loans were intended to provide low-interest-rate funds to small businesses impacted by the pandemic.
In May 2020, after he failed to receive approval for a loan, Antoun allegedly sent an email to an SBA email account, writing in part, “IT GOES INTO MY BANK ACCOUNT TONIGHT OR I START BOMBING EVERY LOCATION OWNED BY THE SBA,” acccordig to the plea agreement, filed Monday in L.A. federal court.
An SBA officer in Texas read the email and contacted law enforcement, court filings said.
When federal law enforcement officers questioned Antoun at his home regarding the message, the defendant said he was under the influence of marijuana and alcohol when he sent the email and did not intend to carry out the threat. He was given a warning, according to prosecutors.
But during the summer and fall of 2021, Antoun again attempted to obtain SBA loans. When he once more was unable to do so, he allegedly sent threatening emails to more SBA employees.
In the 2021 email, Antoun allegedly threatened to walk into the SBA’s L.A. District Office “with my nice shiny bat” and “start beating the skulls of SBA staff in.”
“Once the police or whoever it is eventually stop me, [I’m] going to jail,” Antoun wrote.
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