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ARMEN KAZARIAN CHARGED AS VOR OF MIRZOYAN TERDJANIAN
LA Late News
http://news.lalate.com/2010/10/14/armen-kazarian-charged-as-vor-of-mirzoyan-terdjanian/
Oct 14 2010
GLENDALE
Glendale's Armen Kazarian, has been arrested, charged with being
the Vor (aka Pzo or Qerop) of Mirzoyan-Terdjanian Organization,
a Armenian-American organized crime ring. Kazarian is accused of
being the mastermind of the largest Armenian-American crime ring in
the U.S. ever; 44 alleged members and associates were indicted today
for actions against 118 medical clinics in 25 states for which they
submitted $100 fake claims to Medicare. "The alleged $100 million
Medicare fraud scheme identified today is the largest, single Medicare
fraud ever charged" said Preet Bharar, the lead Attorney General on
the case.
The alleged scheme was elaborate, comprehensive, and didn't use normal
clinics. Rather, the charged defendants allegedly set up 118 phantom
clinics in which they ran a "fraud franchise" said Bharar. "In terms
of profitability, geographic scope, and sheer ambition, the elaborate
health care scam we charge today highlights the emerging and serious
threat of international organized crime. ... As charged, they stole
taxpayer dollars earmarked for the elderly and infirm and got away
with it, until now. Today's indictments send a strong message to these
groups that we will use every tool and resource at our disposal to
stop them in their tracks."
It's particularly hard to count how many of the residents were from
Southern California. There were fifteen in Glendale and Burbank,
another four from Glendale. The reported Glendale residents charged
are Pogos Satamyan, 31, Andranik Satamyan, 20, Grisha Sayadyan, 59,
and Allen Sayadyan, 30. There are three from Van Nuys charged. Burbank
residents charged are Karen Markosian, 37, Artur Yepiskoposyan, 31, and
Herayer Baghoumian, 54, also face fraud-related charges. The following
Glendale defendants were also charged in a New York indictment - Armen
Kazarian, 46; Davit Mirzoyan, 34; Jacob Pogosian, 35; Karen Simonian,
33; Vartan Boyzadzhyan, 38; Gourgen Mirimanian, 46; Armen Grigorian,
39; and Anna Termartirosyan, 35.
Edward Tarver, the United States Attorney for the Southern District
of Georgia, said of the New York case that it "illustrate that health
care fraud is a national problem and that a national response from law
enforcement is necessary. The charges announced today also provide
additional evidence of the efforts by international organized crime
to defraud the Medicare system."
Bill Lewis, the FBI's Los Angeles Criminal Division's Special Agent in
Charge, said of today's indictment "Because we arrested many people
in the communities of Glendale, Burbank and Van Nuys, I want to be
sure we are not too quick any particular community, city or ethnic
group as organized crime." . This is the first time a Vor has ever
been charged and arrested for federal racketeering crimes.
"And even though it was a very lavish fraudulent scheme, it's amazing
how they were able to maintain a low overhead. They actually did an
awful lot of their operations out of a very small office over an
auto-body shop on Coney Island Avenue in Brooklyn. And one woman,
From: A. Papazian
LA Late News
http://news.lalate.com/2010/10/14/armen-kazarian-charged-as-vor-of-mirzoyan-terdjanian/
Oct 14 2010
GLENDALE
Glendale's Armen Kazarian, has been arrested, charged with being
the Vor (aka Pzo or Qerop) of Mirzoyan-Terdjanian Organization,
a Armenian-American organized crime ring. Kazarian is accused of
being the mastermind of the largest Armenian-American crime ring in
the U.S. ever; 44 alleged members and associates were indicted today
for actions against 118 medical clinics in 25 states for which they
submitted $100 fake claims to Medicare. "The alleged $100 million
Medicare fraud scheme identified today is the largest, single Medicare
fraud ever charged" said Preet Bharar, the lead Attorney General on
the case.
The alleged scheme was elaborate, comprehensive, and didn't use normal
clinics. Rather, the charged defendants allegedly set up 118 phantom
clinics in which they ran a "fraud franchise" said Bharar. "In terms
of profitability, geographic scope, and sheer ambition, the elaborate
health care scam we charge today highlights the emerging and serious
threat of international organized crime. ... As charged, they stole
taxpayer dollars earmarked for the elderly and infirm and got away
with it, until now. Today's indictments send a strong message to these
groups that we will use every tool and resource at our disposal to
stop them in their tracks."
It's particularly hard to count how many of the residents were from
Southern California. There were fifteen in Glendale and Burbank,
another four from Glendale. The reported Glendale residents charged
are Pogos Satamyan, 31, Andranik Satamyan, 20, Grisha Sayadyan, 59,
and Allen Sayadyan, 30. There are three from Van Nuys charged. Burbank
residents charged are Karen Markosian, 37, Artur Yepiskoposyan, 31, and
Herayer Baghoumian, 54, also face fraud-related charges. The following
Glendale defendants were also charged in a New York indictment - Armen
Kazarian, 46; Davit Mirzoyan, 34; Jacob Pogosian, 35; Karen Simonian,
33; Vartan Boyzadzhyan, 38; Gourgen Mirimanian, 46; Armen Grigorian,
39; and Anna Termartirosyan, 35.
Edward Tarver, the United States Attorney for the Southern District
of Georgia, said of the New York case that it "illustrate that health
care fraud is a national problem and that a national response from law
enforcement is necessary. The charges announced today also provide
additional evidence of the efforts by international organized crime
to defraud the Medicare system."
Bill Lewis, the FBI's Los Angeles Criminal Division's Special Agent in
Charge, said of today's indictment "Because we arrested many people
in the communities of Glendale, Burbank and Van Nuys, I want to be
sure we are not too quick any particular community, city or ethnic
group as organized crime." . This is the first time a Vor has ever
been charged and arrested for federal racketeering crimes.
"And even though it was a very lavish fraudulent scheme, it's amazing
how they were able to maintain a low overhead. They actually did an
awful lot of their operations out of a very small office over an
auto-body shop on Coney Island Avenue in Brooklyn. And one woman,
From: A. Papazian