New charges added against former Sacramento city councilmember Sean Loloee, business associates
SACRAMENTO – A former Sacramento city councilman already under indictment is now facing several new charges, along with a couple of his associates.
Like the previous federal indictment, the charges against Sean Loloee again relate to his private business: Viva Supermarkets. Two other defendants have also now been named in the case, 36-year-old Mirawis Shams and 29-year-old Ahmad Shams.
Loloee and the general manager of the store, 42-year-old Karla Montoya, were originally charged back in Dec. 2023 in a scheme that alleges he hired undocumented workers to reduce labor costs.
The case prompted a push by city officials for Loloee to resign from his council seat.
Loloee did eventually resign in January 2024.
On Friday, the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of California announced a superseding indictment against Loloee and his associates. Loloee himself is suspected of conspiracy to defraud the IRS, willful failure to collect or pay over withheld taxes, three counts of filing a false tax return, and three counts of money laundering.
The district attorney's office also added three counts of money laundering of COVID-19 relief funds against Loloee.
Mirwais Shams, who worked as a controller and financial auditor for Viva Supermarkets, and Ahmad Shams, who served as human resources director, are each being charged with conspiracy to defraud the IRS and two counts of filing a false tax return. Further, Ahmad Shams is facing two counts of perjury.
In total, the federal grand jury's new superseding indictment returned a total of 58 counts against the defendants.
The four defendants appeared in court on Friday and all pled not guilty to the charges they face.
A judge recalled arrest warrants for Mirawis and Ahmad and they were released on their own recognizance.
The four defendants are scheduled to appear in court on April 4 at 9 a.m.
