An international robbery ring with ties to New York City stole $30 million from banks from Azerbaijan to Uzbekistanfederal prosecutors reported.
One of the members of the network, Garri Smith, 52, from Brooklyn, was sentenced this week to four years in prison for his role in the scheme.the officials explained.
Smith and his countrymen used high-tech equipment to steal money, jewelry and gold bars from safe deposit boxes in Russia, Ukraine and other countriesprosecutors said.
“Garry Smith He stole a fortune from banks around the world in a scheme better suited for a Hollywood production“Erin Keegan, acting special agent in charge of a Department of Homeland Security office in New York, said in a statement.
“He sought wealth and good things, but instead he ended up on the wrong side of the law,” he added.
The court documents specify the elaborate plan in which Smith and his accomplices rented several safe deposit boxes from banks and, using specialized equipment, took photos of the locks on neighboring safe deposit boxes so they could duplicate the keys to those locks.reported Patch.com .
“Ultimately, they used the keys to steal money from the safe deposit boxes of legitimate bank customers,” the documents state. “They stole millions of dollars that they laundered in the United States.”
Smith, who pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy, single-handedly participated in robberies totaling $5.1 million.the agents indicated.
The robberies were carried out in banks in Azerbaijan, Latvia, Moldova, North Macedonia, Russia, Ukraine and Uzbekistanprosecutors said.
The international network stole $30 million in total from seven countries before laundering the money.
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2024-01-28 14:32:01
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