Man Convicted of 56 Counts in Fuel Tax Scam
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A federal jury convicted a Glendale man of 56 counts of fraud, money laundering and other charges for his role in a multimillion-dollar fuel excise tax scam, authorities said Wednesday.
Akop “Apy” Hakopian, 38, who ran a trucking company called Pegasus Transportation Co. in Long Beach, was among 10 defendants named in a federal indictment last year.
Authorities said the defendants were part of a ring based in the San Pedro and Long Beach area that fraudulently purchased about $8 million worth of diesel fuel during a three-month period.
The group, allegedly led by co-defendant Youssef Kamel Keroles of San Pedro, also defrauded a company called Magnum Oil that was created by undercover FBI and IRS agents, authorities said.
The federal indictment charged that several of Hakopian’s co-defendants, including Keroles, operated California Oasis Product, a wholesale oil distribution company in San Pedro. The group created and executed a scheme to evade the 18-cent per gallon state excise tax on diesel fuel sold to customers at service stations and truck stops, authorities said.
The other nine defendants previously pleaded guilty to charges including criminal conspiracy, tax fraud, mail fraud and wire fraud.
Sentencing for Hakopian is scheduled Oct. 28.
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