Tweet
ARMENIAN POWER GANGSTERS WHO PREYED ON 99 CENTS CUSTOMERS CONVICTED
LA Weekly, CA
April 18 2014
By Dennis Romero
Two Armenian Power gangsters preyed on 99 Cents Only store customers
and the elderly as part of a money-making conspiracy.
And now they're headed to federal prison for a long time.
See also: The Mysterious Case of L.A. Gangsters in Syria
The U.S. Attorney's Office in L.A. announced that Armenian Power
leaders Mher "Capone" Darbinyan and Arman "Horse" Sharopetrosian
were facing decades behind bars after a jury recently convicted them,
prosecutors said. Darbinyan's case comes with ...
... a possible 973½ years behind bars. Who knew paper crime could be
so costly?
The U.S. Attorney's Office says Darbinyan now has a sheet filled
with convictions for "racketeering conspiracy, extortion conspiracy,
extortion, bank fraud, access device fraud conspiracy, aggravated
identity theft, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon."
Authorities say Darbinyan, Sharopetrosian and a third man, gang
associate Rafael Parsadanyan, were part of a scam that skimmed debit
card pin numbers from thousands of 99 Cents Only store customers and
targeted the elder for identity theft.
See also: Gangsters Skimmed Millions From 99 Cents Only Shoppers
The three were part of a huge crackdown on Armenian Power, a gang born
in East Hollywood in the 1980s. Two indictments were handed down in
2011 and 90 defendants were ultimately ensnared in the case, feds say.
Eighty-five have been convicted so far.
The prosecution focused on white collar crimes, including bank fraud
and counterfeit checks. There was violence involved, however. Feds
say in a statement that the gang has a history of street-level crime:
Armenian Power members and associates regularly carry out violent
criminal acts, including murders, attempted murders, kidnappings,
robberies, extortions, and witness intimidation to enrich its members
and associates and preserve and enhance the power of the criminal
enterprise.
The evidence also showed that Armenian Power leaders worked closely
with powerful organized crime figures in Russia and Armenia, known as
"thieves-in-law," to commit criminal activities in the Los Angeles
area and elsewhere.
Meanwhile, 35-five-year-old Sharopetrosian was convicted of
racketeering conspiracy, extortion conspiracy, and extortion and
faces a possible 60 years behind bars when he's sentenced.
While behind bars in 2009, feds allege, ...
... Sharopetrosian worked together with Darbinyan and others to
carry out the extortion over a period of six months, at one point
even arranging the kidnapping at gunpoint of the victim in order to
hasten the extortion payments. Sharopetrosian, at different times,
threatened to kill and kidnap the victim in order to coerce the victim
into paying him more than $100,000.
Twenty-nine-year-old Parsadanyan assisted with the 99 Cents Only
scheme by shuffling pilfered cash to a "co-schemer," the U.S.
Attorney's Office said. He faces as many as 30 years behind bars.
Darbinyan of Valencia was an AP leader who ran the 99 Cents Only
racket, feds said. According to their statement:
Darbinyan operated a sophisticated bank fraud scheme that used
middlemen and runners to deposit and cash hundreds of thousands of
dollars in fraudulent checks drawn on the accounts of elderly bank
customers and businesses.
When AP started out in the 1980s, Latino gangs were mortal enemies
and dozens of soldiers on both sides died as a result. More recently,
feds say, Darbinyan "repeatedly engaged in criminal activities with
members of the Mexican Mafia prison gang," to whom Armenia Power now
pledges allegiance.
http://www.laweekly.com/informer/2014/04/18/armenian-power-gangsters-who-preyed-on-99-cents-customers-convicted
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
LA Weekly, CA
April 18 2014
By Dennis Romero
Two Armenian Power gangsters preyed on 99 Cents Only store customers
and the elderly as part of a money-making conspiracy.
And now they're headed to federal prison for a long time.
See also: The Mysterious Case of L.A. Gangsters in Syria
The U.S. Attorney's Office in L.A. announced that Armenian Power
leaders Mher "Capone" Darbinyan and Arman "Horse" Sharopetrosian
were facing decades behind bars after a jury recently convicted them,
prosecutors said. Darbinyan's case comes with ...
... a possible 973½ years behind bars. Who knew paper crime could be
so costly?
The U.S. Attorney's Office says Darbinyan now has a sheet filled
with convictions for "racketeering conspiracy, extortion conspiracy,
extortion, bank fraud, access device fraud conspiracy, aggravated
identity theft, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon."
Authorities say Darbinyan, Sharopetrosian and a third man, gang
associate Rafael Parsadanyan, were part of a scam that skimmed debit
card pin numbers from thousands of 99 Cents Only store customers and
targeted the elder for identity theft.
See also: Gangsters Skimmed Millions From 99 Cents Only Shoppers
The three were part of a huge crackdown on Armenian Power, a gang born
in East Hollywood in the 1980s. Two indictments were handed down in
2011 and 90 defendants were ultimately ensnared in the case, feds say.
Eighty-five have been convicted so far.
The prosecution focused on white collar crimes, including bank fraud
and counterfeit checks. There was violence involved, however. Feds
say in a statement that the gang has a history of street-level crime:
Armenian Power members and associates regularly carry out violent
criminal acts, including murders, attempted murders, kidnappings,
robberies, extortions, and witness intimidation to enrich its members
and associates and preserve and enhance the power of the criminal
enterprise.
The evidence also showed that Armenian Power leaders worked closely
with powerful organized crime figures in Russia and Armenia, known as
"thieves-in-law," to commit criminal activities in the Los Angeles
area and elsewhere.
Meanwhile, 35-five-year-old Sharopetrosian was convicted of
racketeering conspiracy, extortion conspiracy, and extortion and
faces a possible 60 years behind bars when he's sentenced.
While behind bars in 2009, feds allege, ...
... Sharopetrosian worked together with Darbinyan and others to
carry out the extortion over a period of six months, at one point
even arranging the kidnapping at gunpoint of the victim in order to
hasten the extortion payments. Sharopetrosian, at different times,
threatened to kill and kidnap the victim in order to coerce the victim
into paying him more than $100,000.
Twenty-nine-year-old Parsadanyan assisted with the 99 Cents Only
scheme by shuffling pilfered cash to a "co-schemer," the U.S.
Attorney's Office said. He faces as many as 30 years behind bars.
Darbinyan of Valencia was an AP leader who ran the 99 Cents Only
racket, feds said. According to their statement:
Darbinyan operated a sophisticated bank fraud scheme that used
middlemen and runners to deposit and cash hundreds of thousands of
dollars in fraudulent checks drawn on the accounts of elderly bank
customers and businesses.
When AP started out in the 1980s, Latino gangs were mortal enemies
and dozens of soldiers on both sides died as a result. More recently,
feds say, Darbinyan "repeatedly engaged in criminal activities with
members of the Mexican Mafia prison gang," to whom Armenia Power now
pledges allegiance.
http://www.laweekly.com/informer/2014/04/18/armenian-power-gangsters-who-preyed-on-99-cents-customers-convicted
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress