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CBS Local, CA
Aug 15 2012
Federal Court Employee Charged With Leaking Confidential Information
To Armenian Gang
August 15, 2012 6:25 PM
LOS ANGELES (AP) - A federal courts employee and her husband have been
charged with accessing and leaking confidential information to tip off
suspected criminals before their arrest, including the takedown of an
Armenian gang last year, authorities said Wednesday.
Nune Gevorkyan, 35, and Oganes Koshkaryan, 40, both of Los Angeles,
were each charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice. If convicted,
they face up to 20 years in prison. Phone messages left for their
attorneys were not immediately returned.
Federal authorities said they believe Gevorkyan looked at sealed
indictments before raids across Southern California in February 2011
that led to the arrests of more than 70 people associated with the
Armenian Power gang. Most of the charges filed in those cases dealt
with white-collar crimes.
One of the defendants, who is seeking a reduced sentence, told FBI
agents that information about the takedown was known to some of those
arrested.
`The cooperating defendant said that, as a result of this information,
he/she fled his/her home the night before the arrests and stayed with
family in another city,' according to court documents. The defendant
later surrendered.
Authorities said Koshkaryan acted as an intermediary who promised he
could get confidential information from the court system in exchange
for cash. On at least two occasions, Koshkaryan delivered information
from sealed court records to an FBI informant, authorities said.
Last month, the informant asked Koshkaryan for information related to
a person who is currently under investigation, according to court
documents. During a recorded conversation, Koshkaryan told the
informant the person was going to be arrested soon, authorities said.
In another related instance where information was provided regarding
another person, the informant paid Koshkaryan $2,000, an affidavit
said.
A court records search by FBI agents revealed that a log-in assigned
to Gevorkyan had accessed sealed court documents pertaining to the two
ongoing investigations.
Last week, the informant told Koshkaryan the details obtained from the
sealed documents were `gold.'
`Based on the information that Koshkaryan had provided to the
informant, Target Two had already fled for his/her safety,' court
documents showed.
Gevorkyan worked as a clerk where criminal documents are filed in
downtown Los Angeles for the past two years. Her employment status is
currently pending review.
http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2012/08/15/federal-court-employee-charged-with-leaking-confidential-information-to-armenian-gang/
Aug 15 2012
Federal Court Employee Charged With Leaking Confidential Information
To Armenian Gang
August 15, 2012 6:25 PM
LOS ANGELES (AP) - A federal courts employee and her husband have been
charged with accessing and leaking confidential information to tip off
suspected criminals before their arrest, including the takedown of an
Armenian gang last year, authorities said Wednesday.
Nune Gevorkyan, 35, and Oganes Koshkaryan, 40, both of Los Angeles,
were each charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice. If convicted,
they face up to 20 years in prison. Phone messages left for their
attorneys were not immediately returned.
Federal authorities said they believe Gevorkyan looked at sealed
indictments before raids across Southern California in February 2011
that led to the arrests of more than 70 people associated with the
Armenian Power gang. Most of the charges filed in those cases dealt
with white-collar crimes.
One of the defendants, who is seeking a reduced sentence, told FBI
agents that information about the takedown was known to some of those
arrested.
`The cooperating defendant said that, as a result of this information,
he/she fled his/her home the night before the arrests and stayed with
family in another city,' according to court documents. The defendant
later surrendered.
Authorities said Koshkaryan acted as an intermediary who promised he
could get confidential information from the court system in exchange
for cash. On at least two occasions, Koshkaryan delivered information
from sealed court records to an FBI informant, authorities said.
Last month, the informant asked Koshkaryan for information related to
a person who is currently under investigation, according to court
documents. During a recorded conversation, Koshkaryan told the
informant the person was going to be arrested soon, authorities said.
In another related instance where information was provided regarding
another person, the informant paid Koshkaryan $2,000, an affidavit
said.
A court records search by FBI agents revealed that a log-in assigned
to Gevorkyan had accessed sealed court documents pertaining to the two
ongoing investigations.
Last week, the informant told Koshkaryan the details obtained from the
sealed documents were `gold.'
`Based on the information that Koshkaryan had provided to the
informant, Target Two had already fled for his/her safety,' court
documents showed.
Gevorkyan worked as a clerk where criminal documents are filed in
downtown Los Angeles for the past two years. Her employment status is
currently pending review.
http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2012/08/15/federal-court-employee-charged-with-leaking-confidential-information-to-armenian-gang/