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BeaconMediaNews.com
AUGUST 12 - AUGUST 18, 2019
EX-MANAGER AT GLENDALE BANKD PLEADS GUILTY TO FRAUD CHARGES
- Courtesy photo
Father’s of Monrovia Missing Woman Pens Handwritten Plea to the Public Rick Custer, father of Amanda Custer, has arrived in Los Angeles from out of state to help investigators search for his daughter. He handwrote a letter asking for the public’s help, pleading to bring his daughter home. Amanda’s loved ones, along with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) Homicide Bureau investigators are asking the Lytle Creek and Mount Baldy community members and visitors to the area to remain vigilant and please help us find her. Mr. Custer ended his letter with “We are very distraught and need to bring our Amanda home.” Amanda’s whereabouts remain unknown after being taken against her will during a domestic violence incident that occurred on Monday, July 29, 2019, at approximately 8:15 a.m. The incident occurred between her and 27 year-old
suspect Robert Anthony Camou who was taken into custody July 30, 2019 in downtown Los Angeles. For more information regarding this incident click the link below: https://local.nixle.com/alert/7448854/ The dog shown in the picture with Amanda is safe and NOT missing. Anyone with information about Amanda Custer is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500. If you prefer to provide information anonymously, you can call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS(8477), or by using your smart phone and downloading the “P3” Tips Mobile App on Google Play or the Apple App Store, or by using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org
A former bank branch manager at Wells Fargo pleaded guilty to one felony count of bank fraud for using his position to help launder proceeds of a tax fraud and identity theft scheme that used false identities and bogus Republic of Armenia passports to fraudulently obtain $14 million in tax refunds from the Internal Revenue Service. Hakop Zakaryan, 34, of Glendale, entered a guilty plea this afternoon before United States District Judge Andrew J. Guilford, who scheduled a November 18 sentencing hearing, at which time Zakaryan will face a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison. Zakaryan admitted in his plea agreement that he used his position as bank manager in Glendale to “unfreeze” bank accounts that Wells Fargo had frozen because of suspected fraud. To do so, Zakaryan called the bank’s loss prevention department and provided false information to unfreeze the bank accounts, even though he knew that the schemers were using fraudulent identities, according to the plea agreement. Zakaryan admitted
that he assisted the schemers because they paid him thousands of dollars in cash. For example, in July 2014, Zakaryan called the bank’s loss prevention department and provided false information to unfreeze the bank account, which helped the schemers to withdraw $29,453 in cash from that account. Zakaryan admitted that he unfroze the account in exchange for approximately $3,000 in cash from the schemers. The underlying Stolen Identity Refund Fraud (SIRF) scheme involved schemers who used false identities and fake Republic of Armenia passports to open hundreds of bank accounts that were used to launder funds fraudulently received from the IRS. A total of 18 defendants, including Zakaryan and Glendale lawyer Arthur S. Charchian, have been charged in that scheme, which involved approximately 7,000 fraudulent tax returns that cumulatively sought about $38 million in refunds. The IRS issued about $14 million in refunds. The fraudulent tax returns were filed and the bank accounts were opened with personal
identifying information that had been stolen from thousands of victims. The federal investigation into the SIRF scheme has resulted in 12 convictions, and the seizure of four residential properties and more than $700,000 from bank accounts. Last month, a civil forfeiture action was commenced against another property worth approximately $1.5 million. One defendant has been extradited from Colombia, four defendants remain fugitives from justice, and two defendants are scheduled to go to trial later this year. The case against Zakaryan and the defendants in the SIRF scheme is being investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charles E. Pell of the Santa Ana Branch Office. The civil forfeiture action is being pursued by Assistant United States Attorney Brent A. Whittlesey of the Asset Forfeiture Section.
ORANGE COUNTY MAN SENTENCED TO LIFE A man was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for murdering his business partner in their San Juan Capistrano office to gain control of the victim’s shares of the company. Edward Shin, 41, of Irvine, was convicted in December 2018 of one felony count of murder with a sentencing enhancement for murder for financial gain. In 2010, Shin co-owned an Internet advertising business, 800xchange, with 33-year-old Christopher Smith. On June 4, 2010, Shin murdered Smith in their San Juan Capistrano office and disposed of the body. He committed the murder for financial gain with the intention of gaining full ownership of the business. After the murder, Shin produced docu-
ments containing a false signature from Smith signing the rights of the business over to defendant. Smith lived in the City of Laguna Beach and the Laguna Beach Police Department began investigating this case as a missing persons case based on a report filed by the victim’s family in April 2011. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD) took over as the lead investigating agency based on evidence that the victim had been murdered in San Juan Capistrano. Shin was arrested on Aug. 28, 2011, by OCSD Investigators at Los Angeles International Airport sitting onboard a flight awaiting departure to Canada. Senior Deputy District Attorney Matt Murphy of the Homicide Unit prosecuted this case.
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apprehension. Several hours passed with no response as SWAT team members entered the residence and found him deceased with an apparent self-inflicted injury. Based on the death of the suspect at a time while Sheriff’s personnel were present and attempting to apprehend him; investigators from the Sheriff’s Central Homicide
Unit assumed the investigation which is still on-going. The Riverside County Sheriff's Department encourages anyone with information regarding this incident to contact Central Homicide Investigator Gomez at (951) 955-2777, or Perris Station Investigator Salisbury at (951) 210-1000.