2 Men Sentenced for Roles in Fuel Excise Tax Fraud
A Glendale man was sentenced to seven years in federal prison Monday and ordered to forfeit $700,000 for his role in a multimillion-dollar fuel excise tax scam. Akop “Apy” Hakopian, 38, was convicted in August of 56 counts of wire fraud, mail fraud and tax evasion.
Hakopian’s confederate, Youssef Kamel Keroles of San Pedro, also was sentenced Monday to 27 months in prison and fined $45,000. He must make $1.1 million in restitution to the state, and pay $864,000 to the Internal Revenue Service.
Hakopian, who ran a Long Beach trucking company, was one of 10 defendants in a federal indictment last year.
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