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Armenian Power Gangsters Who Preyed on 99 Cents Customers

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Armenian Power Gangsters Who Preyed on 99 Cents Customers PAGE 14, THE CALIFORNIA COURIER, MAY 1, 2014 faces a possible 60 years behind LA-Area Armenian Students Active bars when he's sentenced. Armenian Power Gangsters Who Preyed While behind bars in 2009, feds At AESA’s 13th Science Olympiad say, Sharopetrosian worked with NORTHRIDGE, CA - Califor- Appreciation Award was be- On 99 Cents Customers Convicted Darbinyan and others to carry out nia State University, Northridge, stowed on Anna Mkrtchyan and By Dennis Romero The three were part of a huge the extortion over a period of six was the site for the 13th Science Anna Tavitian from AGBU Ma- LA Weekly crackdown on Armenian Power, months, at one point even arrang- Olympiad on March 23. This an- noogian Demirdjian School; they LOS ANGELES - Two Arme- a gang born in East Hollywood ing the kidnapping at gunpoint of nual event organized by the Sci- will share the $300 award. The nian Power gangsters preyed on in the 1980s. Two indictments the victim in order to hasten the ence Olympiad Committee of the School of the Year Award was 99 Cents Only store customers were handed down in 2011 and extortion payments. Sharopetro- Armenian Engineers and Scien- earned by Ferrahian High School; and the elderly as part of a mon- 90 defendants were ultimately sian, at different times, threatened tists of America (AESA) brings the school will receive a trophy ey-making conspiracy. ensnared in the case, feds say. to kill and kidnap the victim in or- together Armenian students from and $300 to support the purchase And now they're headed to fed- Eighty-five have been convicted der to coerce the victim into pay- different middle and high schools of scientific instruments for the eral prison for a long time. so far. ing him more than $100,000. to showcase their completed sci- school’s science laboratory. The U.S. Attorney's Office in The prosecution focused on Parsadanyan, 29, assisted with ence projects. The AESA encourages all stu- L.A. announced that Armenian white collar crimes, includ- the 99 Cents Only scheme by Eighty-two Armenian students dents of Armenian descent in Power leaders Mher "Capone" ing bank fraud and counterfeit shuffling pilfered cash to a "co- with sixty-eight projects from grades 6 through 12—whether Darbinyan and Arman "Horse" checks. There was violence in- schemer," the U.S. Attorney's Of- nine schools took part in this one in public or private schools—to Sharopetrosian were facing de- volved, however. Feds say in a fice said. He faces as many as 30 and only science competition cre- strongly consider participating cades behind bars after a jury statement that the gang has a his- years behind bars. ated for middle- and high-school in the next AESA Science Olym- recently convicted them, prosecu- tory of street-level crime: Darbinyan of Valencia was an Armenian students in the US. piad. tors said. Darbinyan's case comes Armenian Power members and AP leader who ran the 99 Cents The day began with interviews For further information please with ... a possible 973½ years be- associates regularly carry out vio- Only racket, feds said. According of the participating students by email at [email protected]. hind bars. Who knew paper crime lent criminal acts, including mur- to their statement: Darbinyan op- an expert panel of judges. Their could be so costly? ders, attempted murders, kidnap- erated a sophisticated bank fraud projects were judged based on scheme that used middlemen and The U.S. Attorney's Office says pings, robberies, extortions, and creativity, scientific thought and Azeri Family Granted runners to deposit and cash hun- Darbinyan now has a sheet filled witness intimidation to enrich its data analysis thoroughness, pre- dreds of thousands of dollars in with convictions for "racketeering members and associates and pre- sentation, and clarity. The award fraudulent checks drawn on the Asylum in Armenia conspiracy, extortion conspiracy, serve and enhance the power of ceremony started with more than accounts of elderly bank custom- extortion, bank fraud, access de- the criminal enterprise. 200 students, parents, educators YEREVAN - Armenian authori- ers and businesses. vice fraud conspiracy, aggravated The evidence also showed that and science enthusiasts in atten- ties have granted political asylum When AP started out in the identity theft, and possession of a Armenian Power leaders worked dance. to an Azerbaijani family that 1980s, Latino gangs were mortal firearm by a convicted felon." closely with powerful organized The keynote speaker Dr. Aida crossed into Armenia via Georgia enemies and dozens of soldiers Authorities say Darbinyan, crime figures in Russia and Arme- Rechdouni, the Chief Pathologist earlier this year. Sharopetrosian and a third man, nia, known as "thieves-in-law," to on both sides died as a result. Javid Orujev, his wife Roya More recently, feds say, Darbin- and Medical Director of SCGA gang associate Rafael Parsadan- commit criminal activities in the Laboratories, gave an informa- Mirzoyeva and three children yan, were part of a scam that Los Angeles area and elsewhere. yan "repeatedly engaged in crimi- entered the country through the nal activities with members of tive presentation on the anatomy, skimmed debit card pin numbers Meanwhile, 35-five-year-old main Georgian-Armenian border the Mexican Mafia prison gang," physiology, and optics of the hu- from thousands of 99 Cents Only Sharopetrosian was convicted of crossing in late January, several to whom Armenian Power now man eye. Dr. Marina Guevrekian, store customers and targeted the racketeering conspiracy, extor- months after being reportedly de- pledges allegiance. Founder and Chair of the Science elder for identity theft. tion conspiracy, and extortion and Olympiad Committee for 11 ported back to Azerbaijan from years, gave an inspiring tribute in Norway. memory of the late Helen Daba- According to Armenia's Nation- ghian, an accomplished scientist al Security Service (NSS), Orujev and a Science Olympiad Com- claimed to have been harassed by mittee member since its incep- and forced to spy for Azerbaijani tion. Helen played a key role in intelligence because of Mirzoye- the establishment and growth of va's ethnic Armenian origin. The AESA’s Science Olympiad. In her 38-year-old told the NSS that he honor, the Committee established had unsuccessfully sought politi- the “Helen Dabaghian Judge/ cal asylum in a European state for Mentor Award” to be bestowed to that reason. a mentor and/or judge in appre- The family lodged a similar ciation of his/her volunteer work application with immigration during the preceding year. Dr. authorities in Yerevan. News. Karoline Rostamiani, an accom- am quoted the head of Armenia's plished scientist, was honored as State Migration Service (SMS), the first recipient of this award. Gagik Yeganian, as saying on After welcoming remarks by Sunday that the request has been AESA President Vasken Yard- granted. emian, Committee Chair Jenik The five Azerbaijanis have been Gharabegian praised all of the kept an undisclosed location in participating students for their Yerevan. Orujev and Mirzoyeva hard work in preparing their sci- have avoided any contact with the ence projects as well as everyone Armenian media so far. in the audience for their part in Azerbaijani news services making this event possible. Each quoted Orujev's mother as saying of the student winners was deco- in February that the family was rated with a medallion made in never harassed by the Azerbaijani Armenia of native obsidian and authorities. She said her son is will receive a monetary award. simply keen to again emigrate to In addition to the honors award- Europe through Armenia. ed to students, two non-student awards are given each year, for Subscribe a Friend teacher appreciation and for or Relative to school of the year. These selec- The California Courier. tions for teacher and school are based on number of student par- Keep them Informed of ticipants, total number of partici- Armenian News Worldwide. pating projects in each category Call (818) 409-0949 and level, and the point value of or E-mail each student award. The Teacher [email protected].
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