AceShowbiz - Eva Longoria has been hit with a multi-million dollar lawsuit from a former business partner who alleges she agreed to an illegal scam to boost the money she invested in a failed Las Vegas restaurant venture. Investor Mali Nachum has accused the Desperate Housewives star of pouring $1 million into her Beso eatery as part of an illicit scheme which promised her a return of $4.6 million in interest over two years.

Nachum claims the actress' alleged deal violates California law and diminishes his own shares of the venture, according to a lawsuit obtained by TMZ.com and filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Monday, January 10. He is suing Longoria, who owns a third of Beso, for $4 million in damages.

Longoria has suffered a string of problems with her Beso brand - last week, bosses at the Las Vegas branch filed for bankruptcy after racking up debts of almost $5.7 million. And, in June 2010, Nachum took legal action against the star, claiming she forced him out of his ownership stake and managerial job at the Sin City venue.