SAN DIEGO (CNS) – The majority owner of several San Diego-area restaurants who was convicted of taking more than $1.7 million in pandemic relief funds and using the money to buy a home in Arkansas rather than for his businesses was sentenced Friday to three years and six months in prison.
Leronce Suel, 47, who was the majority owner of companies that operated restaurants including North Park’s Streetcar Merchants, was indicted along with his business partner Ravae Smith.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, they fraudulently received $1,773,245 in Paycheck Protection Program loans and Restaurant Revitalization Fund grants by falsely claiming the money would go towards their businesses…