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NORTH HOLLYWOOD MAN INDICTED IN ARMENIAN SMUGGLING RING CASE
Los Angeles Times
June 17 2014
Tony Perry
44-year-old North Hollywood man was indicted on a charge of being
the ringleader of a smuggling ring that brought Armenian nationals
into the U.S. through Moscow and Mexico.
Grigor Chatalyan was arrested Sunday trying to enter the U.S. from
Mexico at the San Ysidro border crossing. prosecutors said. He was
arraigned in San Diego federal court Monday and an indictment was
unsealed.
Two Glendale residents -- Varduhi Avagyan, 42, and Meri Avetisyan, 40
-- were arrested in November on suspicion of attempting to smuggle two
Armenian nationals into the U.S., officials said. Officials accused
them of coordinating with Chatalyan.
Prosecutors accuse the group of charging Armenian nationals up to
$18,000 to be flown to Moscow where they were given phony Russian
passports to travel to Cancun, Mexico.
Once in Cancun, they were brought to Tijuana where they received
immigration documents that had been issued to other people,
prosecutors said.
Chatalyan and the two co-defendants are charged with conspiracy and
smuggling illegal immigrants for profit. Chatalyan is also charged
with identity theft.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln--armenian-smuggling20140616-story.html
Los Angeles Times
June 17 2014
Tony Perry
44-year-old North Hollywood man was indicted on a charge of being
the ringleader of a smuggling ring that brought Armenian nationals
into the U.S. through Moscow and Mexico.
Grigor Chatalyan was arrested Sunday trying to enter the U.S. from
Mexico at the San Ysidro border crossing. prosecutors said. He was
arraigned in San Diego federal court Monday and an indictment was
unsealed.
Two Glendale residents -- Varduhi Avagyan, 42, and Meri Avetisyan, 40
-- were arrested in November on suspicion of attempting to smuggle two
Armenian nationals into the U.S., officials said. Officials accused
them of coordinating with Chatalyan.
Prosecutors accuse the group of charging Armenian nationals up to
$18,000 to be flown to Moscow where they were given phony Russian
passports to travel to Cancun, Mexico.
Once in Cancun, they were brought to Tijuana where they received
immigration documents that had been issued to other people,
prosecutors said.
Chatalyan and the two co-defendants are charged with conspiracy and
smuggling illegal immigrants for profit. Chatalyan is also charged
with identity theft.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln--armenian-smuggling20140616-story.html