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United Press International UPI
July 8 2011
Armenian crime boss pleads guilty
Published: July 8, 2011 at 3:06 PM
NEW YORK, July 8 (UPI) -- The leader of an Armenian crime ring in New
York pleaded guilty to racketeering charges Friday in a federal court,
the U.S. Department of Justice announced.
Armen Kazarian, 47, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy,
admitting his association with the Mirzoyan-Terdjanian organization
and acknowledging he engaged in extortion for the crime ring and on
his own behalf, U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said in a release.
The indictment charged Kazarian used his leadership position in the
crime community to help the Mirzoyan-Terdjanian crime engage in a
range of criminal offenses, including operating a $100 million
Medicare fraud billing ring.
Kazarian was a "vor" -- roughly translated as "thief-in-law" -- among
high-level criminals from Russia and the countries that had been part
of the former Soviet Union, including Armenia.
"International organized crime has emerged as one of the most serious
law enforcement problems of the 21st century," Bharara said. "It is a
problem that this office -- and the Department of Justice as a whole
-- is committed to rooting out. [Kazarian's] 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."
Kazarian will be sentenced Oct. 6, 2011.
July 8 2011
Armenian crime boss pleads guilty
Published: July 8, 2011 at 3:06 PM
NEW YORK, July 8 (UPI) -- The leader of an Armenian crime ring in New
York pleaded guilty to racketeering charges Friday in a federal court,
the U.S. Department of Justice announced.
Armen Kazarian, 47, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy,
admitting his association with the Mirzoyan-Terdjanian organization
and acknowledging he engaged in extortion for the crime ring and on
his own behalf, U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said in a release.
The indictment charged Kazarian used his leadership position in the
crime community to help the Mirzoyan-Terdjanian crime engage in a
range of criminal offenses, including operating a $100 million
Medicare fraud billing ring.
Kazarian was a "vor" -- roughly translated as "thief-in-law" -- among
high-level criminals from Russia and the countries that had been part
of the former Soviet Union, including Armenia.
"International organized crime has emerged as one of the most serious
law enforcement problems of the 21st century," Bharara said. "It is a
problem that this office -- and the Department of Justice as a whole
-- is committed to rooting out. [Kazarian's] 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."
Kazarian will be sentenced Oct. 6, 2011.