Tweet
New York Post
July 8 2011
Reputed Armenian mob boss faces 3-plus years in prison, deportation in
plea deal with feds
By BRUCE GOLDING
Last Updated: 1:42 PM, July 8, 2011
It's back to the old country for this gangster.
A reputed Armenian mob boss pleaded guilty this morning to
racketeering conspiracy in a deal that will get him deported once he
finishes his time in the slammer.
Armen Kazarian faces up to 37 months behind bars for scheming to shake
down an underling for $100,000 after using his influence to erase a
debt worth twice that amount.
Kazarian -- who once tooled around in a flashy, $350,000 Rolls-Royce
Phantom -- also agreed to forfeit his luxury condo in Glendale,
Calif., and nearly $3,500 in cash he was carrying when busted last
year.
Speaking through an interpreter in Manhattan federal court, Kazarian,
47, confessed that he was part of an "organization" that "engaged in a
pattern of racketeering through multiple acts of extortion."
He also admitted making violent threats over the phone and in person
to collect $100,000 from a co-defendant, Varujan Amroyan, between 2006
and 2010.
According to court papers, Kazarian demanded the payment after making
an overseas phone call to a fellow "vor" -- a title similar to that of
a Mafia godfather" -- on behalf of an associate of Amroyan's.
Upon learning that Amroyan had bought a yacht without paying up first,
Kazarian was caught telling another crony to "take it (the yacht) out
of his hands."
The feds secretly recorded Kazarian's often-profane threats by tapping
his phone while investigating a massive, $163 million Medicare fraud
scheme that led to charges against him and more than 70 others last
year.
Kazarian's high-profile defense lawyer, Mark Geragos, said there was
never any evidence tying Kazarian to that scam, and said "we're
gratified" that prosecutors agreed to a plea bargain that dropped
those allegations.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara noted that Kazarian is the first
"vor" convicted of racketeering in America, adding: "His guilty plea
should send a strong message to international gangsters all over the
world that if you commit crimes in this country, we will find you, and
we will prosecute you with the full force of the law."
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/reputed_armenian_deal_boss_faces_pZ4q1CoEismr35XW2 IwbVL
July 8 2011
Reputed Armenian mob boss faces 3-plus years in prison, deportation in
plea deal with feds
By BRUCE GOLDING
Last Updated: 1:42 PM, July 8, 2011
It's back to the old country for this gangster.
A reputed Armenian mob boss pleaded guilty this morning to
racketeering conspiracy in a deal that will get him deported once he
finishes his time in the slammer.
Armen Kazarian faces up to 37 months behind bars for scheming to shake
down an underling for $100,000 after using his influence to erase a
debt worth twice that amount.
Kazarian -- who once tooled around in a flashy, $350,000 Rolls-Royce
Phantom -- also agreed to forfeit his luxury condo in Glendale,
Calif., and nearly $3,500 in cash he was carrying when busted last
year.
Speaking through an interpreter in Manhattan federal court, Kazarian,
47, confessed that he was part of an "organization" that "engaged in a
pattern of racketeering through multiple acts of extortion."
He also admitted making violent threats over the phone and in person
to collect $100,000 from a co-defendant, Varujan Amroyan, between 2006
and 2010.
According to court papers, Kazarian demanded the payment after making
an overseas phone call to a fellow "vor" -- a title similar to that of
a Mafia godfather" -- on behalf of an associate of Amroyan's.
Upon learning that Amroyan had bought a yacht without paying up first,
Kazarian was caught telling another crony to "take it (the yacht) out
of his hands."
The feds secretly recorded Kazarian's often-profane threats by tapping
his phone while investigating a massive, $163 million Medicare fraud
scheme that led to charges against him and more than 70 others last
year.
Kazarian's high-profile defense lawyer, Mark Geragos, said there was
never any evidence tying Kazarian to that scam, and said "we're
gratified" that prosecutors agreed to a plea bargain that dropped
those allegations.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara noted that Kazarian is the first
"vor" convicted of racketeering in America, adding: "His guilty plea
should send a strong message to international gangsters all over the
world that if you commit crimes in this country, we will find you, and
we will prosecute you with the full force of the law."
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/reputed_armenian_deal_boss_faces_pZ4q1CoEismr35XW2 IwbVL