Leader Of “Pure Armenian Blood” Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Racketeering and Multimillion-Dollar Fraud in Southern District of New York

Narek Marutyan and Saro Mouradian, also known as “Paul Mouradian,” were sentenced to six years and 10 months in prison, respectively, for their involvement in a credit card fraud scheme orchestrated by a criminal enterprise known as “Pure Armenian Blood” or “P.A.B.” Marutyan, a leader of the P.A.B., pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy, while Mouradian, who owned a Florida-based business used by the P.A.B., pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit access device fraud. U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero imposed their sentences. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams highlighted the commitment to combating organized crime in all forms through this prosecution.

Pure Armenian Blood operated under the direction and protection of an unindicted co-conspirator known as “CC-1,” a “vor v zakone” or “vor,” which are elite criminals from the former Soviet Union. The group engaged in criminal activities such as identity theft, access device fraud, and credit card fraud, with operations spanning New York City, various locations in the U.S., and abroad. Marutyan led the P.A.B.’s illicit activities in New York, involving the use of stolen personal information, fraudulent credit card use, and falsifying documents to manipulate account holder credit reports.

Mouradian operated collusive businesses used by the P.A.B. to facilitate the credit card fraud scheme, running sham charges on fraudulently obtained credit cards without providing legitimate goods or services. He also provided personal information to P.A.B. members for further fraud activities. In addition to their prison terms, Marutyan was ordered to pay restitution and forfeiture exceeding $4.2 million, while Mouradian was sentenced to pay restitution and forfeiture amounts totaling over $517,000 and $50,000, respectively. Other co-defendants in the case have also been sentenced or have guilty pleas pending.

The investigation was conducted by the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Eurasian Organized Crime Squad, along with other agencies such as the FBI’s New Jersey, Los Angeles, and Miami offices, Homeland Security Investigations, the New York City Police Department, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and United States Customs and Border Protection. The case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces operation aimed at dismantling criminal organizations posing a threat to the U.S. The prosecution was handled by the Office’s Illicit Finance & Money Laundering Unit, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Deininger leading the charge.

The defendants in the case, including Narek Marutyan, Albert Marutyan, Davit Yeghoyan, Mikayel Yeghoyan, Saro Mouradian, Zaven Yerkaryan, Vahe Hovhannisyan, and Gohar Illangyozyan, were convicted on various charges related to racketeering conspiracy, access device fraud, travel act money laundering, and making false statements to law enforcement. The sentences ranged from time served for some defendants to six years for Marutyan. The successful prosecution of these individuals underscores the dedication to combating complex criminal enterprises engaging in financial fraud on a national and international scale.