Two Southern California men were arrested Thursday, spearheading a complex money laundering scheme that cost at least $10 million from at least 100 victims, according to the US lawyers’ office.
Silas Nyujing Verzikov, 38, Chino Hills, and Robert Che, 44, of Romita, were taken from federal custody on Thursday, with third defendant Mustafa Nkatchiwo Sely Yummy, 29, still on the massive scale in Inglewood.
Each defendant was charged with one count of a conspiracy to commit money laundering. The scheme primarily targeted older adults, the US Lawyer’s Office for the Central District of California said in a statement.
The indictment alleges that since November 2021, the defendant used at least 36 shell companies representing fake identities and “fake businesses.” They are said to have opened more than 145 bank accounts under their fake identity.
One scheme targeted elderly victims with phone and email pop-ups, and “the defendant and his conspirators pretended to be law enforcement or employees with a well-known company whose victims attempted to maintain the security of their accounts,” the indictment allegedly.
The defendant is said to have since used fake badges and job titles to persuade the victim to send out bank information under the guise of securing a vulnerable bank account. Victims transfer money from their account to an unauthorized account, where they lose access to the funds.
The indictment alleges that the defendant used the money at personal expenses such as rent.
Another fraudulent scam involved a fraud in which a defendant pretending to be a fictitious property owner deceived the victim, thinking that a legitimate sale of his property was happening before putting money in his pocket.
If convicted, each of the three men would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
The indictment alleges that the defendant “constructed sophisticated fraud and money laundering schemes that targeted and preyed on our most vulnerable citizens.” Joseph T. McNally. “They not only stole the victims’ money, they also took away their safety and trust.”
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