There are enough facts proving support for terror by Armenian Republic in a state level. One of the facts shows the link between the Armenian Republic and `Armenian Power` criminal organization located in the USA.
What kind of organization is ‘Armenian Power’?
Armenians migrated to Los-Angeles strengthened the Armenian crime and the power of Armenian diaspora doubled on the eve of the fall of the former Soviet Union. Most of them are not ‘professional criminals’ in conformity with FBI. They work in a variety of fields such as construction, auto sector, agriculture and others in the mornings and commit ordered and free crimes in the evenings.
’Armenian Power’ is divided into three structural groups :
• Street gangs - They commit dirty crimes ( racketeering, kidnapping, extortion, robbery, narcotics trafficking, prostitution and others);
• White collar criminals - They mainly deal with financial crimes such as money laundering, cheating insurance companies, avoiding tax and making fake documents to get social assistance;
• Elites - They include rich criminals such as people who have contacts with the heads of Armenian diaspora in the USA, transnational crime bosses whose names are not mentioned anywhere.
The organization was established to be safe from Mexican gang groups in California in a small group. The organization got strong in the process of time. Previous times, the group won fame for street fights and armed extortion. However, they have recently dealt with ‘white collar’ crime, namely robbery using modern technologies (credit card fraud, identity fraud and others).
The mafia groups improved their operations in regard with the technological advancements and tried their hands at different fields. Hence, it becomes difficult to reveal them. Laws do not mean that no one will violate them. The fight against illegitimacy is the main issue. US institutions always fight against these groups; in particular, the Central Investigation Agency (CIA) and the police have revealed a few ‘white collar’ mafia groups in recent years. It is possible to note that Russian crime groups and Armenian groups who were involved in ‘Medicaid’ fraud case were among them.
The evidence suggests that 40 Armenians established syndicate arrogating money for Health Insurance, Armenian cybercriminals were arrested in Netherlands, as well as Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and former Armenian President Robert Kocharyan had connection with the head of the crime group ‘thief-in-law’ Armen Kazarian.
`Medical licenses were used for the opening of the fraudulent medical clinics which receive non-existent patients. The post boxes were shown as the addresses of the medical institutions. Accounts for virtual services were sent to the Federal Funding of the Health Insurance. Each clinic has operated for three months. In other words, they were closing the institution and opening new one after receiving payment for fraudulent services. Mafia could envy this group because of illegal profits and international influence `, federal prosecutor Preet Bharara told.
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It is acknowledged that Armen Kazarian invested the stolen money from the US in business fields in Armenia. It can be assumed that the crime syndicate of `Armenian Power` also has such kind of relations with Armenia. Therefore, it is likely that 20 million dollars, gained by this group has an indirect relation with Armenia.
According to journalist Sevda Asgarova`s researches, `Armenian Power` is established by Armen Petrosyan, who is named `Silent` by Armenian security bureau and maintained in Los Angeles and its neighborhood on account of new Armenian immigrants. Under Petrosyan`s guidance, the meeting of the Armenian criminal gangsters and `thieves-in-law` was held in Los Angeles in 1987. The issue of combining Armenian gangs was discussed in the meeting. Thus, `white-collar` Armenian criminals committing economic crimes and street gangs involved in racketeering, drug trade, murdering and kidnapping became a union in one syndicate.
The group is settled in Glendale, Los Angeles. This settlement is famous with its biggest Armenian community.
Small trade center which is situated near one of the petrol stations in the Eastern Hollywood highways was decided as the headquarters by nearly 20 Armenian criminal bosses of the syndicate. Soon the owners of the nearby restaurants and shops had to pay monthly to them or had to take the former retired officers from Los Angeles police in order to defend themselves from the criminal group.
Large-scale special operation was carried out by the law enforcement agencies of the US against criminal group constituted of people with Armenian origin. As a result of the operation, 74 members of the ethnic group of `Armenian Power` were arrested. According to the Ministry of Justice of the US, the number of arrests is more than 80.
The operation named as ` Operation Power Outrage was conducted on 16 February, Tuesday. Various power structures of the US and more than thousand employees of FBI attended the operation. The people were stopped in California. The majority of them were assumed mafias. However, there were arrests in other regions of the US, Miami and Denver. Totally 102 people were arrested. Nearly 80 mafias are in prison. More than 20 people are free.
Arsen Bejanyan and Sargis Tadevosyan were leading the Armenian criminal group engaging in racketeering, bank fraud, stealing personal information, kidnapping and drug trafficking.
According the approximate calculations of the Law Enforcement Bodies, the amount of the damage to the American residents was more than 20 million dollar as a result of racketeering, illegal drug circulation, arms trafficking and other crimes. A criminal case was initiated against 102 members of the orderly criminal group.18 members of the guidance of the `Armenian power` are among the wanted. According to the representative of the California prosecutor office, Tim Mrojekin all arrests are Armenians.
`The group used the methods of intimidation and violation. Besides they `worked` in the classic mafia style`, the federal Prosecutor Preet Bharara said at the Press Conference held in New York. The gang is called `Mirzoyan-Tercanyan grouping` for the sake of its founders` names Davit Mirzoyan, 35 and Robert Tercanyan, 36.
However, according to the charging documents the `godfather` of the mafia is 46 years old Armen Kazarian. He was mentioned as `thief-in-law` in the documents. Kazarian moved to the USA in 1996. Though he has often visited to Armenia and Azerbaijan, he got the refugee status. The federal Prosecutor Preet Bharara said that the mafia had close relations with Armenia, the leaders of the mafia had regularly visited there and purchased real estate in Armenia.
He had very close relations with the Armenian President Serj Sargsyan`s brother Alexander Sargsyan, the Armenian Media reports. `At early 1990s, A.Kazarian fled from Baku to Yerevan. Then he had to emigrate to US using Azerbaijani passport, because of the former Minister of Internal Affairs, Vano Siradegyan`s decision on struggling with criminalists. `
After change of the power in Armenia in 1998 and Robert Kocharyan`s taking over power, almost all the doors remained open in the country. During the recent years, he was arrested at least two times. However, he was released after direct intervention of Serj Sargsyan, especially his brother and `Sashik` who has rich criminal background.
According to the state media, `Pzo` controls `Sashik`s business in America. Besides, he attended the wedding ceremony of Kocharyan`s son and brought expensive gifts.
Along with the police forces of California State, the Federal Bureau of Investigation employees have also attended the operation against the mafia group. Mafiosi of the `Armenian Power` were arrested in Glendale and Los-Angeles. The members of the group were charged with rackety, murders, attempting to murders, kidnapping, robbery and other crimes.
The representative of Los-Angeles area of the Armenian American Chamber of Commerce, Zaven Kazazyan said that they have no ties with the incidents happened: `Of course, we were embarrassed but we have not any connection with them. They do not represent the real Armenian nation. `
It seems unlikely not to making any connection of a mafia, which has established its great gang in a city which 200.000 Armenians live in with the Armenian Diaspora. Every year, the Armenian Diaspora collects money for not only send them against Azerbaijan, but also against Georgia and Turkey. It is quite obvious that that money were not collected from plain Armenian people. So, the diaspora commits crimes to achieve its goals.
Zaur Aliyev, PhD in Political Science
AzVision.az
