Armenian Hoodlum Involved In Massive LA-OC Identity Theft Ring Gets Prison


By R. Scott Moxley Thu., Feb. 28 2013 A 26-year-old Armenian man living in Southern California and deemed an "illegal alien" by federal officials participated in a massive, Burbank-based, $7 million identity theft ring operating for six years in Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties.

But Hovhannes Dilboyan hoped that his role as a relatively low level "runner" in the crime spree that used bank insiders to access confidential customer account information would earn him in a break.

When he was arrested in 2009, Dilboyan carried a computer thumb drive containing 1,132 access devices, including debit card numbers, bank account numbers and credit card numbers that belonged to unwitting victims who used U.S. Bank, Wells Fargo, Nevada Federal Credit Union, JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America and American Express.

Inside Orange County's Ronald Reagan Federal Courthouse late last year, Assistant United States Attorney Joseph McNally sought a 192-month prison term for Dilboyan.

This week, U.S. District Court Judge David O. Carter sentenced Dilboyan to a term of 111 months in prison and ordered nearly $3.1 million in restitution plus supervised probation of five years upon his release from custody.

Federal immigration officials have launch an effort to deport Dilboyan back to Armenia, according to records.

Others guilty individuals already punished for the scam include: Arman Sharopetrosian (AKA "Horse" and "Dzi"), 300 months; Angus Brown (AKA "Homicide" and "Cide" and "Cy"), 287 months; Karen Markosian (AKA "Kar" and "Garen"), 259 months; Kristine Ogandzhanyan (AKA "Krist" and "Kristik"), 61 months; Oganes Tangabakyan (AKA "Hovo" and "Hovo Spito"), 51 months; Vergine Gasparian (AKA "Vikush"), 1 day; Artush Margaryan, 240 months; Alphonso Strong (AKA "Trub"), 39 months; Faye Shante Bell, 9 months; Hyworth Rutanhira (AKA "Ike"), 27 months; Derrick Chatton (AKA "Doc"), 20 months; and Robert Haskell, 30 months.

Individuals accused in the case with pending resolutions include Trita Black, Damian Wadsack, Lwellyn Charles Cox IV, Kelly Benson, Ronald Smith, Kevin Young, Anthony Hawkins and Nikkia Brooks.

Armenian Hoodlum Involved In Massive LA-OC Identity Theft Ring Gets Prison - Orange County - News - Navel Gazing