The Department of Justice (DOJ) has new updates for ongoing criminal cases, including one man who laundered taxpayer money for a transnational criminal organization, and several others who were using migrants for forced labor.
Renat Abramov of Brooklyn used to be a relationship manager at a U.S. bank branch in the Sheepshead Bay area, and while there he "spearheaded the largest health care fraud case ever prosecuted by the Department of Justice," according to an August 12 press release. Abramov helped coordinate a mass Medicare and private health insurance fraud scheme for a Russia-based transnational criminal organization (TCO) that ultimately stole billions of dollars, though Abramov specifically was responsible for laundering about $8 million.
The fraud involved claims for medical equipment from companies that actually operated as cash conduits for the TCO. Among the alleged owners were many who "were not lawfully present in the United States." On behalf of these fraudsters, Abramov was a concierge banker, opening accounts for the "owners" of the companies that were depositories for over $8 million from the fraudulent medical claims. The fraudsters transferred the funds to offshore accounts. Besides opening the bank accounts, Abramov also helped with wire transactions and updated the other criminals about their account status.
As of February, Abramov had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering, and he just received 18 months in prison, which seems somewhat mild. But Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the DOJ National Fraud Enforcement Division said, “This sentence makes one thing clear: anyone who helps fraudsters conceal the proceeds of their crimes can expect to face serious consequences. American taxpayers will be protected from those who try to launder criminal proceeds through our banking system.”
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In a separate Wednesday press release, the DOJ discussed a new indictment for three individuals facing charges of conspiracy to commit forced labor and forced labor.
According to court documents, Zhu Chen, together with Jiayi Chen and Jianjun Lu, recruited Chinese nationals through false pretenses to enter the United States on B-1 and L-1 visas to work at Wellmade Industries, a flooring manufacturer in Georgia. Upon the victims’ arrivals into the United States, the defendants kept their immigration documents and had them work 12-hour shifts, six days a week at the Wellmade Industries factory in Cartersville, Georgia. The defendants paid the victims less than promised and did not provide overtime or health benefits. They also threatened the victims with deportation and the imposition of sizeable debts and subjected them to verbal, psychological, and physical abuse. The defendants housed the victims in residences owned by Wellmade even though the victims did not have legal status under their visas.
The employers could face up to 20 years of prison time.
This case also highlights the problem of Americans losing industrial jobs to such abusive employers who prefer to hire illegal aliens precisely because they are easier to exploit.
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