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Armenians charged in US clampdown on crime ring

18 February 2011 11:20 (UTC+04:00)
Armenians charged in US clampdown on crime ring

WASHINGTON, D.C. – US police arrested more than 80 members of an Armenian-linked international organized crime network in coordinated raids in three US states Wednesday, officials said, AFP reported.

Over 100 suspects in California, Miami and Colorado have been charged and further arrests were expected, said the US Department of Justice, citing judicial officials in the three states.

The charges include bank fraud, kidnapping, racketeering and health care fraud.

"Today's indictments allege literally hundreds of criminal acts in three states -- from extortion and kidnapping to firearms trafficking and health care fraud," said Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer.

"The common denominator among these defendants and their criminal enterprises is the use of violence and intimidation to commit crimes for profit," he added.

Those arrested included more than 80 members of Armenian Power, a Los Angeles-based street gang, as well as others with ties to organized crime, he said. The LA arrests follow a two-year probe known as Operation Power Outage.

"These groups bring fear into our communities, defraud innocent victims, and put the safety and security of our neighborhoods at risk," said Breuer in a statement.

In Florida, 13 defendants were charged in Miami with extortion conspiracy, credit card fraud, money laundering, smuggling of firearms and health care fraud, among other crimes.

In Denver, Colorado one suspect, Nadezda Nikitina, 24, was charged with conspiring to make false statements to the United States on credit and loan applications.

"Today's takedown has removed 100 members and associates of organized crime groups from the streets of Miami, Los Angeles and Denver," said US Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer for the Southern District of Florida.

"We stand firm in our resolve to help eliminate organized criminal activity, be it domestic or transnational."

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