On August 20, 2020, in the Central District of California, Vache Tony Barsamian pled guilty to bank fraud related to his role in a fraudulent scheme involving stolen U.S. Treasury and California tax refund checks. Barsamian was initially charged in a five-count indictment issued on December 13, 2019.

According to the court documents, beginning on an unknown date and continuing through at least March 30, 2017, in Los Angeles County, California, and elsewhere, Barsamian executed a scheme to defraud Wells Fargo Bank. Barsamian obtained stolen tax refund checks and changed the named written on the payee line to his name. Next, Barsamian and his coconspirators would deposit altered checks into his Wells Fargo Bank checking account. Barsamian and his coconspirators negotiated more than $21,000 in stolen U.S. Treasury and California tax refund checks.

At sentencing, Barsamian could receive up to 30 years' imprisonment; a five-year period of supervised release; a fine of up to $1,000,000; and a mandatory special assessment of $100.

Source:  The facts in this case narrative come from the following publicly available documents: C.D. Cal., Indict., filed Dec. 13, 2019; C.D. Cal., Plea Agr., filed Aug. 20, 2020; and C.D. Cal., Dock. Rep., run Aug. 6, 2020.