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BURBANK FELONS GET 25 YEARS FOR ARMENIAN AND BLACK STREET-GANG-AIDED IDENTITY THEFT
Los Angeles Daily News, CA
Nov 28 2012
City News Service
SANTA ANA -- Two men behind a massive identity-theft conspiracy that
was hatched and operated from a prison and victimized more than 500
people were sentenced today to 25 years in federal prison.
The conspiracy caused at least $8 million in losses, according to
federal prosecutors.
U.S. District Judge David O. Carter handed down the sentences today
for Angus Brown, 36, and Arman Sharopetrosian, 33, of Burbank.
The two were convicted earlier this year of spearheading the identity
theft ring, which included Armenian and black street gang members,
while the defendants were serving time in Avenal State Prison.
Sharopetrosian's wife, Kristine Ogandzhanyan, was also convicted in
March of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, two counts of attempted bank
fraud and court counts of aggravated identity theft.
The husband and wife were tried in a combination jury and bench trial
before Carter that also led to convictions for co-defendants Keren
Markosian and Artush Margaryan, whose case was the only one decided by
jury.
In March, Carter said he was "astounded by the sophistication" of the
conspiracy, which came to light to federal authorities during an
investigation of organized crime among Armenian Americans.
As a result of that investigation, authorities were able to obtain a
wiretap on cellphones smuggled into Avenal State Prison for
Sharopetrosian, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph McNally.
The identity theft scheme victimized residents in Orange, Los Angeles
and San Bernardino counties, as well as Arizona, Texas and Nevada,
McNally said.
The indictment named 20 defendants, 15 of whom pleaded guilty, including Brown.
Sharopetrosian and Brown met as cellmates in the prison during the
summer of 2009. The two had a background in identity theft so they
teamed up, according to McNally, who said the two started with a
check-ordering scheme.
Bank employees paid low salaries were bribed to turn over personal
information of customers so the crooks could bypass the first line of
security by answering questions such as a mother's maiden name,
McNally said.
Others were hired to intercept the checks, usually mailed overnight,
from mailboxes before customers could retrieve them, McNally said.
Ogandzhanyan forged signatures, copies of which were obtained from
public records such as marriage licenses, McNally said.
Sharopetrosian got the phones smuggled into the prison while Brown
called banks to order the checks, McNally said. Sharopetrosian even
got his elderly mother involved in the scheme by forging checks,
according to the prosecutor.
The checks would be deposited in accounts established in the names of
other Armenians who moved back to Armenia from the U.S., so if
something went wrong it would be difficult to trace the money to the
culprits, McNally said.
The conspiracy even involved forwarding phone calls from unsuspecting
victims so the thieves could intercept any calls from the bank about
large checks, he said.
Sharopetrosian also faces a racketeering indictment by a Los Angeles
federal grand jury and is awaiting trial, Mrozek said.
Many of the other co-defendants in the identity theft conspiracy await
sentencing, Mrozek said.
http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_22086108/burbank-felons-get-25-years-armenian-and-black
Los Angeles Daily News, CA
Nov 28 2012
City News Service
SANTA ANA -- Two men behind a massive identity-theft conspiracy that
was hatched and operated from a prison and victimized more than 500
people were sentenced today to 25 years in federal prison.
The conspiracy caused at least $8 million in losses, according to
federal prosecutors.
U.S. District Judge David O. Carter handed down the sentences today
for Angus Brown, 36, and Arman Sharopetrosian, 33, of Burbank.
The two were convicted earlier this year of spearheading the identity
theft ring, which included Armenian and black street gang members,
while the defendants were serving time in Avenal State Prison.
Sharopetrosian's wife, Kristine Ogandzhanyan, was also convicted in
March of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, two counts of attempted bank
fraud and court counts of aggravated identity theft.
The husband and wife were tried in a combination jury and bench trial
before Carter that also led to convictions for co-defendants Keren
Markosian and Artush Margaryan, whose case was the only one decided by
jury.
In March, Carter said he was "astounded by the sophistication" of the
conspiracy, which came to light to federal authorities during an
investigation of organized crime among Armenian Americans.
As a result of that investigation, authorities were able to obtain a
wiretap on cellphones smuggled into Avenal State Prison for
Sharopetrosian, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph McNally.
The identity theft scheme victimized residents in Orange, Los Angeles
and San Bernardino counties, as well as Arizona, Texas and Nevada,
McNally said.
The indictment named 20 defendants, 15 of whom pleaded guilty, including Brown.
Sharopetrosian and Brown met as cellmates in the prison during the
summer of 2009. The two had a background in identity theft so they
teamed up, according to McNally, who said the two started with a
check-ordering scheme.
Bank employees paid low salaries were bribed to turn over personal
information of customers so the crooks could bypass the first line of
security by answering questions such as a mother's maiden name,
McNally said.
Others were hired to intercept the checks, usually mailed overnight,
from mailboxes before customers could retrieve them, McNally said.
Ogandzhanyan forged signatures, copies of which were obtained from
public records such as marriage licenses, McNally said.
Sharopetrosian got the phones smuggled into the prison while Brown
called banks to order the checks, McNally said. Sharopetrosian even
got his elderly mother involved in the scheme by forging checks,
according to the prosecutor.
The checks would be deposited in accounts established in the names of
other Armenians who moved back to Armenia from the U.S., so if
something went wrong it would be difficult to trace the money to the
culprits, McNally said.
The conspiracy even involved forwarding phone calls from unsuspecting
victims so the thieves could intercept any calls from the bank about
large checks, he said.
Sharopetrosian also faces a racketeering indictment by a Los Angeles
federal grand jury and is awaiting trial, Mrozek said.
Many of the other co-defendants in the identity theft conspiracy await
sentencing, Mrozek said.
http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_22086108/burbank-felons-get-25-years-armenian-and-black