ARMENIA: LAW ENFORCEMENT COOPERATION WITH U.S.

UNCLAS YEREVAN 000070

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/CARC AND INL/AAE (SNYDER)
TBILISI FOR LEGATT (KIRBY)

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV ASEC SOCI PINS AM
SUBJECT: ARMENIA: LAW ENFORCEMENT COOPERATION WITH U.S.
CONTINUES TO IMPROVE


Sensitive but Unclassified. Please Treat Accordingly. Not
for Internet.

Summary
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1. (SBU) Law enforcement cooperation with Armenia continued
to improve in 2006, with concrete key successes despite a
complex environment and the lack of a formal bilateral legal
framework. Fugitive investigations continued to be the most
fruitful area of cooperation, but GOAM cooperation in an
ongoing major international cyber crime case was also
important. Five fugitives from U.S. justice were arrested in
Armenia, and two were transferred to U.S. custody to face
trial. Two fugitives were indicted in Armenia on U.S. murder
charges; one case resulted in conviction while the other is
still pending. Information provided by the GOAM helps to
advance investigations into Eurasian organized crime groups
based in Southern California. U.S. cooperation resulted in
the apprehension and deportation to Armenia of fugitives
sought by Armenian authorities. Key Armenian institutions
working with USG officials are the Prosecutor General's
office (PG),the National Security Service (NSS) and the
Armenian police. Lack of resources to manage speedy
translation of U.S. evidentiary documents is a hindrance, as
is the lack of a full-time LEGATT in Yerevan, but we expect
this level of cooperation to continue. End Summary.


2. (SBU) One of the few negative consequences of strong
links between the Armenian community in the U.S. and their
ethnic homeland is that criminals seek to exploit the absence
of institutionalized bilateral law enforcement cooperation to
avoid justice. Through the efforts of various U.S. and
Armenian organizations, we are working to make this more
difficult, and to ensure that the long arm of the law reaches
all the way from Glendale, California to Yerevan and back
again. On the U.S. side, we are fortunate to have
well-established cooperation, now led by our Legal Attache
Office (based in Tbilisi) with full engagement by post's
Regional Security Office. Glendale PD, LAPD, the Los Angeles
Sheriff's Department and other federal and local agencies
work directly with us on specific cases. Cooperation is so
well-developed that our Consular Section's anti-fraud unit
has a terminal which links them directly to Glendale PD's
database. While in the past, criminals have sought refuge in
the fact that Armenia's constitution prohibits extradition of
its citizens, the PG's office now works to prosecute these
suspects based on U.S. evidence.


3. (SBU) The U.S. Mission has several assistance programs
with the PG's office and with the police, but they are kept
entirely separate from requests for law enforcement
cooperation so as to remove the possibility of
misunderstanding a request for assistance as part of a "quid
pro quo" arrangement.


4. (SBU) At our request, LEGATT Tbilisi assembled a report
of key elements of law enforcement cooperation from 2006.
The full report was sent via email to EUR/CARC; highlights
are included below. (Note: Some of this information relates
to ongoing investgations or judicial proceedings which are
not complete and should be treated as Law Enforcement
Sensitive. End Note.)

FUGITIVE INVESTIGATIONS
--------------

One of the most productive areas of Law Enforcement
cooperation is the location, arrest and return of fugitives.
The FBI tracks the number of U.S. fugitives who are believed
to be in Armenia, as well as the number of Armenian fugitives
believed to be in the U.S. As of January 2007, the number of
tracked fugitives is 67, which includes those already
returned to their country of origin. During 2006, the FBI
located two Armenian fugitives in the U.S., and returned one
who was wanted for attempted murder. The Armenian Services
located 18 U.S. fugitives. Of those, they arrested 5, and
thus far have returned 3. One of the 18 was convicted in
Armenia for the murder he committed in the U.S., and another

is pending trial for murder. Two of the 18 died of natural
causes before they were arrested by the Armenians.

It should be noted that the disparity in the number of U.S.
fugitives located by the Armenian Services and those arrested
is not the fault of Armenian Services. Due to the lack of an
extradition treaty, the Armenian Government can only deport
those fugitives who are not Armenian Citizens, or who have
dual citizenship in both Armenia and the U.S. The Prosecutor
General Offices however, offers in all cases to indict the
individuals in Armenia for the crimes committed in the U.S.
Thus far, the PG's Office has indicted two individuals for
murder, one of whom was convicted, the other pending trial,
and is currently reviewing U.S. evidence in order to indict a
third fugitive for burglary. The most significant hindrance
to Armenian prosecution is the lack of dedicated language
translators. The FBI is currently attempting to address this
problem.

SARO TSATURYAN - In October 2006, the Armenian National
Security Service (NSS) advised they located Saro Gevorg
Tsaturyan in Armenia. Tsaturyan is wanted by the Glendale

SIPDIS
Police Department for two counts of First Degree Residential
Burglary and two counts of Grand Theft of Personal Property.
Tsaturyan and his Armenian co-conspirators have burglarized

SIPDIS
numerous homes of ethnic Armenians in Los Angeles county.
The FBI has investigated him for various organized crime
related offenses, to include special interest alien
smuggling. On 17 November 2006, the National Security
Service of Armenia arrested Tsaturyan. Tsaturyan is a
permanent legal resident of the United States and fled the
country before being prosecuted for his crimes. The
Prosecutor General's Office advised that the Government of
Armenia cannot compel Tsaturyan to return to the U.S. for
trial, but offered to prosecute him in Armenia for the crimes
he committed in the U.S. Legatt has initiated contact with
Glendale Police Department for the foreign prosecution.
Legatt coordinated with U.S. Embassy translator who is
currently translating the documents necessary for indictment
in Armenia.

ANAIT ZAKARIAN - At the request of LA County Sheriff Leroy
Baca, who was recently in Yerevan, Armenia, Legat submitted a
request to the Armenian authorities to locate and arrest
Anait Zakarian. Zakarian is wanted for murder by Glendale
Police. She is also wanted by the LA County Sheriff's
Department for escape from an LASO prison before her murder
trial. The Armenian National Security Service advised Legat
that Zakarian moved from Armenia to Moscow and now resides
there. Based on this information, Glendale PD will seek an
Interpol Red Notice and pursue her arrest in Russia.

NERSES CHAMICHYAN - During July 2006, unidentified subjects
kidnaped, assaulted, then released U.S. Citizen Gevorg
Chamichyan, in Yerevan, Armenia. Chamichyan's cousin in Los
Angeles phoned the American Embassy in Yerevan to report the
crime. Legatt coordinated with RSO section which linked up
with Gevorg Chamichyan upon his release from captivity.
Conoff ensured Gevorg Chamichyan filed a complete police
report with Legatt's liaison contacts in the Police of the
Republic of Armenia. Because the Armenian police made no
translator available, Conoff acted as translator during
police and PG interrogations. While the Consular Section
coordinated the return of Gevorg Chamichyan to the U.S.,
Gevorg's brother, Nerses Chamichyan, showed up to assist.
Nerses Chamichyan, an Armenian citizen with lapsed Legal
Permanent Resident status in the U.S., is wanted for
attempted murder in Los Angeles. The Chamichyans belong to
an organized crime group which is battling with another group
in Los Angeles. Gevorg's kidnapping was conducted in an
attempt to discourage his family members from testifying in a
Los Angeles attempted murder trial.

The RSO and Consular Officer coordinated Chamichyan's travel
documents. LAPD Detective George Shamlyan, who was in
Yerevan conducting case coordination on two unrelated
investigations, agreed to escort Chamichyan to LA. On 29
October 2006, Nerses Chamichyan arrived at LAX airport and
was taken into custody by the Glendale, California Police

Department without incident. Since his return, Chamichyan
testified in a significant Organized Crime trial which
resulted in convictions on all counts.

ARTUR KHANZADYAN - In September 2005, Artur Khanzadyan
brutally murdered his girlfriend and left her in the trunk of
his automobile in Glendale, California. By the time the body
was discovered several days later, police officers determined
Khanzadyan had fled the U.S. Approximately three weeks
later, pursuant to Legatt's request, the National Security
Service of Armenia located and arrested Khanzadyan. Due to
Khanzadyan's status as an Armenian Citizen, the Armenian
courts ruled repeatedly that he could not be compelled to
return to the U.S. As a result of these rulings, the
Prosecutor General of Armenia charged Khanzadyan with murder
in Armenia. The Glendale Police Department translated their
investigative case file and evidence which was passed to the
Armenian government. Khanzadyan's trial began on August 22,
2006 in Armenia. Together with Conoff, two detectives from
Glendale Police Department attended the trial, as did the
victim's father. On August 25, 2006, the court convicted
Khanzadyan for murder and sentenced him to 10 years in
prison.

VAHAGN AKOPYAN - On April 4, 2006, the National Security
Service arrested Vahagn Akopyan who is wanted for murder in
Los Angeles, CA. Due to his Armenian Citizenship, the
Armenian Government cannot compel Akopyan to return to the
U.S. However, the Prosecutor General subsequently indicted
Akopyan in Armenia for the U.S. murder. The FBI turned over
the complete translated case file to the Prosecutor General's
Office in December 2006. Akopyan's trial is currently
pending.

HAROUT BEKARIAN - On 20 June 2001, pursuant to an FBI
investigation, the U.S. District Court of the Central
District of California indicted Harout Bekarian for mail
fraud, health care fraud, bribery and conspiracy to launder
money. When LA FBI agents attempted to arrest Bekarian, they
learned he had already fled to Armenia. On 10 May 2006, the
National Security Service of Armenia arrested Harout
Bekarian. Incident to arrest, Bekarian, who is an Armenian
Citizen, advised he would voluntarily return to the U.S. for
trial. On 2 September 2006, the NSS transferred custody of
Bekarian to Glendale, California Police Department Detectives
Craig Tweedy and Tigran Topadzikian. The Detectives were in
Yerevan in order to attend the trial of Artur Khanzadyan. On
2 September, the Detectives transferred custody of Bekarian
to the FBI at the Los Angeles International Airport. Within
weeks of his return to the U.S., Harout Bekarian pled guilty
to health care fraud and conspiracy in Los Angeles.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 2007.

ANUSHAVAN MARTIROSYAN - In mid-2006, Glendale Police
Department requested Legat attempt to locate Anushavan
Martirosyan in Armenia. Martirosyan drove the getaway
vehicle during a recent murder in Glendale, California. The
Armenian NSS initiated a search at Legat's request. The NSS
advised Legat that Martirosyan is living in Moscow, Russia.
The NSS provided Martirosyan's home telephone number. The
NSS also provided flight time and number for Martirosyan's
mother and brother who flew to Moscow to visit him in October

2006. Legat advised Glendale Police and Legat Moscow.
Glendale Police intend to indict Martirosyan as soon as
possible and obtain an Interpol Red Notice and UFAP warrant
through FBI Los Angeles.

ARTUR YERANOSYAN - The Police of the Republic of Armenia
approached Legat Tbilisi on 12 May regarding an organized
crime related shooting which occurred in Yerevan the previous
day. An ICE lookout determined the subject, Arthur
Yeranosyan was en route to Los Angeles. FBI Los Angeles
coordinated with BICE who detained Yeranosyan upon arrival at
LAX. On 25 May, a KLM contract guard escorted Yeranosyan to
Amsterdam and then onto a connecting flight to Yerevan.
Armenian Federal Police arrested Yeranosyan without incident
upon his arrival at Zvarnots International Airport in
Yerevan. Los Angeles FBI sent Legat Tbilisi toll information
for Yeranosyan's mobile telephone. The cell site information

for the mobile phone precisely mirrors Yeranosyan's movement,
before during and after the shooting. The Police of the
Republic of Armenia and the Prosecutor General's Office were
both appreciative for the evidence.

CYBER CRIME INVESTIGATIONS
--------------

GEVORG MKRTCHYAN - This investigation targets a cyber
criminal enterprise with members operating in Yerevan,
Armenia; Moscow, Russia; Spain; and New York. The
sophisticated criminal enterprise which is headed by an
Armenian in Yerevan, hacks into commercial and individuals'
bank accounts and transfers money to various bank accounts
around the world. Criminal associates in these countries
then withdraw the money and distribute it to other members of
the organization.

Legatt has worked closely with the NSS since the inception of
the investigation. Legatt and NSS personnel traveled
together to Spain to coordinate with Law Enforcement Officers
conducting the Spanish portion of the investigation. The FBI
offices in New York and Milwaukee are also actively engaged
in the investigation. The FBI anticipates that subjects in
Spain, Armenia, and the U.S. will be arrested in early 2007.

MONEY LAUNDERING INVESTIGATIONS
--------------

HAYK STEPANYAN - This investigation was initially opened in
order to respond to a simple request in support of an
Armenian Prosecutor General's Office case. In furtherance of
a money laundering investigation, the PG's office requested
Legat provide information on two Arkansas based companies
which had transferred USD 50,000.00 to the subject of their
investigation. When Little Rock FBI pursued the lead, the
companies were determined to be shell companies under
investigation by FBI Portland. In December 2006, two
Portland FBI agents traveled to Yerevan and met the
investigator assigned to the Armenian investigation.
Portland agents determined that the two investigations are
directly linked, and will be provided copies of all Armenian
evidence which will assist the FBI. The meeting resulted in
new leads for domestic FBI field offices and valuable
intelligence which will be disseminated via EC.


COUNTERTERRORISM

ARTUR SOLOMONYAN - This FBI investigation resulted in the
indictment and arrest of individuals who were attempting to
smuggle military weapons from Armenia to the U.S. The
Armenian NSS arrested two of the individuals involved in this
plot. One of them was immediately turned over to the U.S.
This individual has since been convicted in U.S. Federal
Court. The Prosecutor General's Office of Armenia intends to
indict the second subject in Armenia upon completion of all
the U.S. trials.
GODFREY