Grand Rapids, Michigan — Semsi Salja and Anes Suhonjic, co-owners of DMR Transportation, pleaded guilty in federal court earlier this month to conspiring to commit bank fraud linked to a $290,855 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan. The charges stem from the COVID-19 relief efforts established by Congress in 2020, marking another enforcement action against carriers misusing pandemic-era capital.

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DMR Transportation operates a fleet of 47 trucks out of Grand Rapids. Federal prosecutors allege the owners orchestrated a scheme to secure funds designated for small businesses struggling under pandemic disruptions. The Paycheck Protection Program created forgivable loans through the CARES Act to stabilize the economy, but the limited nature of the fund means every fraudulent claim directly reduced the capital available for legitimate operators trying to keep their doors open during the crisis.

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United States Attorney Mark Totten emphasized the scarcity of the relief money, stating, "The PPP involved a limited pool of funds to help small businesses wracked by the disruption of a global pandemic." Totten noted that fraudulent applications divert resources away from deserving businesses, causing tangible harm to the industry's economic recovery. Both Salja and Suhonjic now face a maximum sentence of five years in prison as the Department of Justice continues to pursue cases involving potentially fraudulent PPP claims.

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