Ten Charged in Laundering & Identity Theft Scheme: Fake Armenian and Georgian Passports Used To Open Bank Accounts in SOCAL

Hundreds of Fake Identities and Fraudulent Armenian and Georgian Passports Used To Open Bank Accounts and Mail Drops across Southern California

Posted by CotoBlogzz

            Rancho Santa Margarita, California – Federal authorities late yesterday arrested five out of 10 defendants who have been charged in identity thefts cases related to an international money laundering scheme that laundered millions of dollars in fraudulently obtained federal income tax refunds, according to statement by United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker.

            The criminal complaints filed Tuesday in United States District Court and unsealed yesterday charge the 10 defendants with participating in a money laundering ring that used hundreds of bank accounts opened with stolen identities to launder millions of dollars in fraudulently obtained tax refunds.

According to the affidavits supporting the complaints, the Internal Revenue Service has identified approximately 7,000 fraudulent tax returns related to this scheme that cumulatively sought about $38 million in refunds.

The IRS issued about $14 million in refunds, and the money was deposited into and laundered through bank accounts used in this scheme. The fraudulent tax returns were filed and the bank accounts were opened with personal identifying information that had been stolen from thousands of victims.

The 10 defendants, each of whom was named in a separate criminal complaint, allegedly used fraudulent foreign passports to commit identity theft by opening numerous bank accounts and mailbox addresses with the stolen identities. According to the criminal complaints, they used fraudulent passports from the Republic of Armenia, Georgia and the Czech Republic that had the names of identity theft victims but the defendants’ photographs.

The mailboxes and bank accounts were opened throughout southern California, including the cities of Newport Beach, Cypress, and La Habra in Orange County; and the cities of Alhambra, Azusa, Covina, Encino, Los Angeles, Montebello, North Hollywood, Rowland Heights, Temple City and Glendale in Los Angeles County.           

            The five defendants taken into custody late yesterday afternoon are:

·         Eduard Astvatsatryan, 34, of Glendale, who allegedly opened at least 17 bank accounts and 14 mailbox addresses in different identities using fraudulent Armenian passports;

·         Hripsime Avagyan, 24, of Burbank, who allegedly opened at least six bank accounts and seven mailbox addresses in different identities using fraudulent Armenian passports;

·         Armen Mkrtchyan, 46, of Glendale, who allegedly opened at least two bank accounts and two mailbox addresses in different identities using fraudulent Armenian passports;

·         Sargis “Sergio” Tabadzhyan, 54, of West Hollywood, who allegedly opened at least 13 bank accounts and seven mailbox addresses in different identities using fraudulent Armenian passports; and

·         Artash Stepanyan, 31, of Glendale, who allegedly opened at least 14 bank accounts and six mailbox addresses in different identities using fraudulent Armenian and Georgian passports;

The defendants who were arrested were held overnight and are scheduled to make their initial court appearances this afternoon in the United States Courthouse in Santa Ana.

Authorities continue to search for the other five defendants. They are:

·         Mkhitar Mkrtchyan, 43, of Sylmar, who allegedly opened at least two bank accounts and two mailbox addresses in different identities using fraudulent Armenian passports;

·         Karen Pogosian, 45, of Sun Valley, who allegedly opened at least two bank accounts and two mailbox addresses in different identities using fraudulent Armenian passports;

·         Konstantin Galstyan, 23, of Sylmar, who allegedly opened at least four bank accounts and two mailbox addresses in different identities using fraudulent Armenian passports;

·         Jane Doe, who allegedly opened at least eight bank accounts and six mailbox addresses in different identities using fraudulent Armenian passports; and

·         John Doe, who allegedly opened at least four bank accounts and two mailbox addresses in different identities using fraudulent Georgian passports.

Federal authorities are seeking the public’s help is apprehending these defendants. Anyone with information about these defendants is encouraged to contact IRS Criminal Investigation at (213) 200-3083 or HSI at (866) DHS-2-ICE.