FIVE DEFENDANTS INDICTED IN HANOVER COUNTY IDENTITY THEFT RING

(Richmond, VA) - A superseding indictment charging five individuals involved in an identity theft ring that victimized more than 500 individuals in the Metro-Richmond area was unsealed today. Those charged in the indictment are:

• GAGIK URUTYAN, age 21, of Lakewood, New Jersey
• GEVORG GASPARYAN, age 25, of Glendale, California
• ANTON MESROPYAN, age 24, of Lakewood, New Jersey
• SARGIS POGHOSYAN, age 24, of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware and
• GEVORG GHAZARYAN, age 25, of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

Chuck Rosenberg, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia announced that all five of the defendants were charged with Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud which carries a maximum penalty of thirty years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million dollars. In addition, defendants Urutyan, Gasparyan, and Mesropyan were each charged with two counts of Bank Fraud and two counts of Aggravated Identity Theft. The penalties for each substantive count of bank fraud are the same as those for conspiracy to commit bank fraud. If convicted of Aggravated Identity Theft, the defendants face a mandatory term of two years in prison on the first count, which must run consecutive to any other sentence imposed, as well as a fine of up to $250,000.00. A consecutive term of two years may also be imposed for a second count of Aggravated Identity Theft.

The indictment alleges a conspiracy that began in August 2006 when Urutyan obtained employment at the Miller’s Neighborhood Market gas station in Mechanicsville, Virginia. It is specifically alleged that Urutyan obtained this employment for the purpose of obtaining unauthorized access to customers’ bank account and personal identification numbers associated with debit cards. It is further alleged that Urutyan stole this identifying information and that he and his coconspirators used the stolen information to make fraudulent withdrawals from automated teller machines (ATM) in the Richmond area; Northern Virginia; Maryland; Delaware; Pennsylvania; and New Jersey. The majority of the withdrawals were made in December 2006 and total approximately $618,517. The indictment includes specific allegations that some of the illegal proceeds were wired to individuals in Armenia and Russia.The lead defendant – Urutyan – was originally charged by Criminal Complaint on December 21, 2006 and has been in federal custody since January 4, 2007. He is currently scheduled for trial on June 18, 2007. Mesropyan was arrested in Maryland on May 22, 2007 and will be arraigned Chief United States District Judge James R. Spencer. The remaining defendants are fugitives.

“The men and women on our Task Force are doing a phenomenal job combating identity theft and helping victims to restore their good names,” said Chuck Rosenberg.

“In the process of investigating prolific financial crimes, local agencies must reach out to other law enforcement agencies, financial institutions, merchants, and citizens to ensure a successful prosecution. The Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, while responding to hundreds of such cases in late 2006, was pleased to find the readily available resources of the Metro- Richmond Identity Theft Task Force to assist our Investigators. The collaborative effort resulted in enhanced investigative resources and the proper venue for prosecution in a case that extends well beyond the borders of Hanover County,” said Colonel Cook.

Individual victims of the alleged scheme have been identified and may obtain further information from the United States Attorney’s Office by calling (866) 378-0527. Anyone with information as to the whereabouts of the fugitive defendants is asked to contact Crimestoppers at (804) 780-1000 or the Hanover County Sheriff’s Office at (804) 365-6110.

The case is being investigated by members of the Metro-Richmond Identity Theft Task Force. The investigation was initiated by the Hanover County Sheriff’s Office which has continued to assist in the investigation along with the Task Force. The Task Force was formed in the Fall of 2004 and is housed at the offices of the United States Postal Inspection Service, located in Henrico County. Full-time member agencies include: the Postal Inspection Service; United States Secret Service; Federal Bureau of Investigation; Henrico County Police Department; Richmond Police Department; and Chesterfield Police Department. Associated members include the Hanover County Sheriff’s Office; Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General; Diplomatic Security Service, Washington Field Office; Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General; and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Washington Division. For more information on the Task Force, including assistance for victims of identity theft, visit: www.richmondIDtheft.com.

Federal prosecutions for the Task Force are handled by the United States Attorney’s Office assisted by the Office of the Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Virginia. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Colombell Marshall. Defendants are presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty.

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