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Mauricio Umansky is facing allegations of fraudulently securing $3.5 million in pandemic relief loans.
As reported in court documents obtained by Us Weekly on Thursday, August 29, Realtor LLC has filed a lawsuit claiming that Umansky, 54, along with his real estate firm, The Agency, applied for and received a total of $3,521,153 in two Payroll Protection Program (PPP) and CARES Act loans.
The purpose of these loans was to help businesses retain employees who were at risk of being laid off due to COVID-19-related financial struggles. The lawsuit alleges that Umansky’s company “falsely” asserted the need for the loans to maintain its workforce. The documents indicate that The Agency’s loan amounts “exceeded the loan cap of 2.5 times the average monthly salary, with a limit of $100,000 annual salary per employee.”
Realtor LLC contends that Umansky’s firm was minimally affected by the pandemic shutdown, as their clientele consists mainly of affluent clients involved in high-value real estate transactions, unlike consumers who were struggling to make purchases due to the pandemic. The filing claims that The Agency’s business thrived during the pandemic, boasting revenues of $6.5 billion in 2020, followed by $11.2 billion the next year.
Being a part of the Real Housewives franchise isn’t always glitter and glam—just ask the various Bravolebrities whose legal troubles have been publicly scrutinized. Several franchise members have addressed lawsuits during episodes, including Teresa and Joe Giudice’s fraud case in New Jersey and Sonja Morgan’s bankruptcy filings in New York City.
The lawsuit further states, “With this awareness, the Defendants would have preserved substantial resources to continue paying their employees. Failing to do so would have been exceedingly irresponsible, especially for experts in the real estate field.” The allegations assert that the Defendants did not present themselves as irresponsible, further affirming their experience and success in the industry.
The plaintiffs are requesting that the court require Umansky and his business to pay three times the damages claimed.
In Touch first broke the story. Umansky has denied these allegations to the outlet, while a representative for The Agency provided a statement to Us Weekly.
“While we cannot discuss ongoing litigation, it is essential to highlight that The Agency has consistently operated with integrity in all business aspects. Like many companies, we faced significant challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, including layoffs and cutbacks. Our primary focus, particularly during these trying times, was to provide exceptional service to our customers and support our employees. The claims in this case do not accurately reflect our operations and financial status at the time we applied for our PPP loans, and we are committed to vigorously defending against these baseless allegations,” the statement said.
Kyle Richards and Mauricio Umansky were together for over 20 years before their separation in 2023 shocked many fans. Richards was previously married to Guraish Aldjufrie, with whom she shares daughter Farrah. She met Umansky in 1994, and they married two years later. Richards was four months into a pregnancy with their first child at the time of their wedding.
Umansky is notably recognized for his relationship with Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Kyle Richards. The couple announced their split in July 2023 after 27 years of marriage but have yet to file for divorce. Together, they have three daughters: Alexia, 28, Sophia, 24, and Portia, 16. Additionally, Umansky is a stepfather to Richards’ daughter Farrah, 35, from her previous marriage to Aldjufrie.
After several seasons on RHOBH, Umansky starred in his own Netflix series, Buying Beverly Hills, which showcased his work at The Agency, founded in 2017. The series featured Umansky collaborating with his daughters Farrah and Alexia. However, the show was canceled by Netflix earlier this year following its second season.
