Three Canadians have been sentenced for their participation in a conspiracy to commit wire fraud that concerned buying private protecting gear at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
One of the defendants was ordered to serve 80 months in prison.
Steven Mesrop, a 31-year-old man from Richmond Hill, Ont., was the alleged ringleader of the wide-ranging scheme that leveraged stolen bank card data to buy occasion tickets and private protecting gear all through North America, which they’d later promote at a marked up worth.
According to a case abstract launched by the United States Attorney Office, Mesrop brought about a complete lack of US$3,463,253.85 and tried to trigger an extra lack of US$2,032,732.54. He was ordered by the Oklahoma City federal court docket to pay restitution within the quantity of US$3,463,253.85 to 39 victims.
Mesrop has been in custody since his arrest on March 18, 2021, in accordance to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Two different Canadians, Mirna Mahrous Habib, a 25-year-old man from Mississauga, Ont., and Karin Treister, a 24-year-old lady from Toronto, Ont., additionally pleaded responsible to their involvement within the scheme and have been sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Timothy D. DeGiusti.
Habib faces 4 months in prison and was ordered to pay US$683,243.23 in restitution to eight victims.
Treister was not sentenced to prison, however was ordered to pay US$30,000 in restitution.