Man Poses as Journalist to Steal Large Sums of Money from Soldier

The investigation into a case of fraud involving large sums of money, and money laundering, has been completed regarding one defendant. This was reported by the Investigative Committee.

The investigation department of the Syunik region of the RA Investigative Committee has concluded the investigation concerning a group of individuals premeditatedly posing as a journalist, various ministry employees, acquaintances, or other fictitious personas, to claim that they were transferring money to a soldier serving in a military unit. They fraudulently acquired large sums from several citizens and business entities.

The comprehensive investigations conducted in the criminal proceedings revealed that a 32-year-old man, in collusion with a group, intentionally and with their assistance, engaged in stealing someone else's property of substantial value. Between August 1, 2020, and September 4, 2021, he contacted various citizens through different phone numbers. During these conversations, he concealed his true identity and, under the pretext of transferring money to a soldier, distorted the truth and stole approximately 11 million AMD from different individuals.

This amount was transferred to various bank accounts opened in other persons' names to conceal the criminal origin and movement of the stolen money.

Based on the gathered sufficient evidence, the 32-year-old man has been charged under Articles 178(3.1), 190(3.1), and 178(2.2) of the RA Criminal Code. He has been subjected to pre-trial detention as a measure of restraint.

A portion of the proceedings has been separated into an individual case, notification has been given about the completion of the investigation, and the materials of the criminal case, along with the indictment conclusion, have been sent to the supervising prosecutor for approval and submission to the competent court.