NEWARK, NJ — A Raritan Township man was charged Thursday with wire fraud and money laundering in connection with an alleged multimillion-dollar scheme involving liquor licenses, federal prosecutors said.
Sameh Aboelata, 50, was arrested and made his initial court appearance before United States Magistrate Judge James B. Clark, III in Newark federal court.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Aboelata is accused of obtaining more than $17 million from an investor between 2016 and 2023 under the pretense of acquiring and maintaining liquor licenses.
Prosecutors allege that Aboelata used most of the funds for personal expenses, including casino transactions, payments to family members and associates, rental payments for his restaurant, and transfers to related bank accounts.
Financial records showed that only several thousand dollars of the $17 million obtained from the investor was actually used to acquire and maintain liquor licenses, according to investigators.
Aboelata is charged with one count of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering.
The wire fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss resulting from the offense, whichever is greater.
Each money laundering charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the amount of criminally derived property involved in the transaction.
Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello credited agents from IRS Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and Raritan Township Police Department for their work leading to the charges.
Assistant United States Attorneys Rachelle M. Navarro and Mark Pesce are prosecuting the case.
The charges are accusations, and Aboelata is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
