Information — U.S. v. Owen Grigsby and Himmeh Kuawogai (D.D.C.)

Summary

A criminal information in United States v. Owen M. Grigsby and Himmeh Kuawogai, Case 1:24-cr-00186-RDM, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, filed April 15, 2024 as Document 1. Count One charges the defendants with conspiracy under 18 U.S.C § 371 to commit wire fraud from at least in or about July 2020 through in or about December 2023. It alleges they agreed to file applications containing false and misleading information with the SBA for Economic Injury Disaster Loans and with Harvest Small Business Finance, LLC for PPP loans on behalf of Owen Grigsby Associates, LLC. The overt acts list an SBA loan agreement for $53,700.00 and two PPP loans of $20,833.00 each, disbursed April 20, 2021 and on or about May 5, 2021. The information is signed by Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca Ross.

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“Information — U.S. v. Owen Grigsby and Himmeh Kuawogai (D.D.C.).” Original at archive.org. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/court-filing-no-1-24-cr-00186-dkt-1-d-d-c-6704531776/, SHA-256 ccdb18c4d2a16104b201d69e3584d74a9ba355f25a9a02d6c06e5b6b8876ac94.

Full text

Case 1:24-cr-00186-RDM Document 1 Filed 04/15/24 Page 1 of 3

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

v. CRIMINAL NO.

OWEN M. GRIGSBY and VIOLATION: 18 U.S.C § 371

HIMMEH KUAWOGAI,

Defendants.

INFORMATION

The United States Attorney charges that:

COUNT ONE

1. From at least in or about July 2020, through in or about December 2023, in the

District of Columbia and elsewhere, the Defendants:

Owen M. Grigsby and
Himmeh Kuawogai,

did knowingly and willfully combine, conspire, confederate, and agree with each other to commit

an offense against the United States, that is: wire fraud, by engaging in a scheme and artifice to

defraud and obtain money and property by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses,

representations, and promises, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371.

Object of the Conspiracy

2. It was an object of the conspiracy for the defendants to enrich themselves by

obtaining money to which they were not entitled.

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Case 1:24-cr-00186-RDM Document 1 Filed 04/15/24 Page 2 of 3

Manner and Means

3. It was part of the conspiracy that the Defendants agreed with each other to file

applications with the United States Small Business Administration (“SBA”) that contained false

and misleading information for the purpose of obtaining Economic Injury Disaster Loans

(“EIDLs”).

4. It was part of the conspiracy that the Defendants agreed with each other to file

applications with Harvest Small Business Finance, LLC (“HSBF”), that contained false and

misleading information, for the purpose of obtaining two Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP)

loans and to have those loans forgiven.

Overt Acts

5. In furtherance of the conspiracy and to effect the object thereof, the defendants,

committed the following overt acts, among others, in the District of Columbia and elsewhere:

a. Between July 2020 and present day, Grigsby, knowingly and willfully, filed

with the SBA two EIDL applications on behalf of Owen Grigsby Associates,

LLC (“OGA”) containing materially false statements. Kuawogai assisted

Grigsby with these fraudulent loan applications by providing Grigsby with

amended and fake documents and explaining the loan application process to

Grigsby via messaging applications, the phone, and email.

b. As a result of his fraudulent and misleading applications, on or about October

12, 2020, Grigsby signed and executed a loan agreement with the SBA for the

amount of $53,700.00, which caused the SBA to disburse a $53,600.00 loan to

OGA’s Bank of America Account ending in -9614 on or about October 20,

2020.

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Case 1:24-cr-00186-RDM Document 1 Filed 04/15/24 Page 3 of 3

c. Between July 2020 and present day, Kuawogai helped Grigsby to submit two

PPP loan applications on behalf of OGA containing materially false statements

to HSBF, a FDIC insured financial institution that engages in interstate

commerce. Kuawogai assisted Grigsby with these loan applications by

providing him with amended and fake documents and explaining the loan

application process to him via messaging applications, the phone, and email.

d. As a result of Grigsby’s first fraudulent and misleading PPP loan application,

HSBF approved Grigsby’s loan application for OGA for $20,833.00 causing

HSBF to disburse $20,833.00 into OGA’s Bank of America account ending in

-9614 on April 20, 2021.

e. As a result of Grigsby’s second fraudulent and misleading PPP loan application,

HSBF approved Grigsby’s “Second Draw” loan application for OGA for

$20,833.00, causing HSBF to disburse $20,833.00 into OGA’s Bank of

America account ending in -9614 on or about May 5, 2021.

(All in violation of Title 18 United States Code Section 371)

Respectfully submitted,

/s/ Rebecca G. Ross
Rebecca Ross (N.Y. BAR #5590666)
Assistant United States Attorney
601 D Street N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20530
Rebecca.Ross2@usdoj.gov
(202) 815-8982

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