4 men charged in San Fernando Valley ATM skimming case
Have you read something like this before?
This just in from the District Attorney's Office:
This just in from the District Attorney's Office:
Four charged in widespread electronic crime scheme
LOS ANGELES - Four San Fernando Valley men were charged today with grand theft, identity theft and other felonies in connection with a widespread electronic crime scheme in which more than two dozen victims, including two banks, lost more than $400,000 through phony ATM withdrawals.
Not only are the defendants charged in connection with the electronic crimes, three of them face marijuana cultivation and illegal weapons charges stemming from execution of a search warrant at six San Fernando Valley locations on May 19.
The four, all arrested on May 19, are scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon in Los Angeles Superior Court Department 30, fifth floor, Criminal Justice Center.
District Attorney's investigators found an indoor, hydroponic marijuana farm, a machine gun, several assault rifles and silences when they searched a so-called "safe house" in Sunland. Investigators also seized several late-model, high end automobiles and more than $200,000 in cash - most of it in $20 bills.
Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Fairtlough of the High Tech Crime Division filed case No. BA 356751 shortly before noon. Named in the 54-county complaint are Oganes Tangabakyan, 31 (dob 1-18-1978), of Sherman Oaks; Aznaour Poghosyan, 26 (dob 3-31-1983), of Tujunga; Edgar Yerkanyan, 25 (dob 9-6-1983), of Sherman Oaks; and Vahe Hovsepyan, 33 (dob 3-22-1976), of Reseda.
Each man faces a substantial state prison sentence if convicted. Bail was recommended at $1 million each.
The District Attorney's Bureau of Investigation, part of the Electronic Crimes Task Force, began investigating the case in August 2008 when informed by Citibank investigations of possible ATM fraud.
Authorities said the defendants gained access to ATM pin numbers through skimming devices placed on debit card point of service terminals and ATMs in Southern California and at least one other western state.
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About the Blogger
Larry Altman has covered crime in the South Bay since 1990. He's seen it all - the missing model who turned up dead in the desert, the wives found dead in trunks, the high-school coaches who get a little too close to their players. He drives his young colleagues nuts with his "I remember when" stories. He welcomes your tips and observations about the present, and you can mix in a little Lakers basketball talk if you like.
E-mail Larry at larry.altman@dailybreeze.com.
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Now THESE are the plucky, pick-yourself-up-by-the-boostraps kind of immigrant that the U.S. really benefits from.
Y CAN THE GOVERMENT FUCK THIS WORLD BUT 4 PEOPLE DO SOMTHING AND ITS A BIG DEAL .