5 Indicted in Drug Money Laundering Case
A federal grand jury has indicted four men from the Los Angeles area and an Argentine on charges that they laundered about $96 million in illicit drug money through the downtown jewelry district and local banks as part of an international conspiracy. The indictment, released by the U.S. attorney’s office Friday, comes on the heels of arrests made two weeks ago.
Indicted were George Atik, Harout Beshlian and Jean J. Mahroukian of Los Angeles, Sarkis Tanijian of Northridge and Celio Merkin, an Argentine living in Uruguay.
Asst. U.S. Atty. Mark J. Werksman said that the government decided against filing charges against two other men arrested on July 20--Vartkes J. Magarian of Van Nuys and Coroun Arslanian of Glendale.
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