Posted on Friday, November 16, 2012
HOUSTON – James Assi Jariv, 62, of Las Vegas, Nev., has-been charged along with seven others in a four-count indictment alleging conspiracy, wire & mail fraud & money laundering, United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson formally announced today. Jariv was arrested (taken in to custody) yesterday along with Alexander Jariv, the - 25-year-old son of James Jariv, Thresa Lloyd, 42, Varda Jariv, 72, & Jiwon Jariv, 33, all of Las Vegas, & Leon Avedikian, 43, of Los Angeles,
California Two others were taken in to custody today, at which time the - indictment, returned under seal Oct. 24, 2012, was unsealed.
They are Ronald Frank Muise, 50, & Michael Derek Muise, 27, both moreover of Las Vegas. Varda Jariv made her initial appearance yesterday. The remaining defendants are expected to make their initial appearances after today in either Las Vegas NV or Los Angeles.
The two conspiracy counts carry a maximum imprisonment of 20 years of time in federal prison yet 'cause the - wire/mail fraud involved telemarketing in that involved 10 or more victims over the - age of 55, federal law provides for an additional 10-year sentence in addition to the - sentence imposed for mail or wire fraud. “The IRS is committed to investigating those individuals who engage in corruption & money laundering,” asserted Bernard Butler, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation. “Working with our law enforcement partners IRS-CI is committed to unraveling complex financial transactions & money laundering schemes. We will continue to aggressively pursue those who victimize the - elderly.”
According to the - indictment, the - Jarivs & other co-conspirators used a number of different named companies to
conduct their telemarketing timeshare resale scheme targeting timeshare owners throughout the - United States & Canada. The timeshare owners were allegedly solicited to pay advance fees in exchange for The Jariv Companies providing willing buyers for their timeshare properties or points, when in fact, the - defendants did not have buyers for the - timeshare owners’ interests & did not market or sell the - property. the - Jariv companies were registered in various states, in addition to Texas, Nevada,
California, Illinois & Washington & conducted business at multiple addresses in Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Chicago & Seattle, according to court records.
The defendants allegedly
used mailing addresses or “virtual office suites” in Las Vegas, Houston, Chicago & Seattle for receiving monies from timeshare owners via U.S. Mail or commercial interstate carriers like Fed Ex, all the - while maintaining call center offices in Las Vegas, Houston, Chicago, & the - greater Los Angeles-area from which the - defendants, using telephones & email, contacted & communicated with timeshare owners, in an alleged scheme to defraud the - timeshare owners of money.
The defendants & their employees falsely represented in that they had buyers for the - timeshare owners interests (either timeshare weeks or points) & solicited fees, ranging from hundreds of dollars to several thousand dollars from each timeshare owner, the - indictment indicates.
The defendants allegedly falsely represented in that the - fees were fully refundable at closing & were used to secure the - owners’ place in an acquisition involving corporate buyers, as well as to pay for legal expenses such as title searches, estoppel letters & closing costs.
The indictment alleges closings were not scheduled, purported sales did not occur & no payments were made to timeshare owners for the - sale of their property, nor have there been payments by corporations (or other buyers) to the - Jariv companies for the - purchase of timeshare properties. The defendants & employees of the - Jariv companies did not devote their resources to marketing the - timeshare owners’ properties & simply pocketed the - advanced fees paid by the - timeshare owners with a sizeable percentage of the - money used to pay telemarketers, according to the - indictment.
The balance of advance fees was allegedly kept by Jariv & his family members to be deposited in to bank accounts controlled by them & frequently transferred to personal bank accounts or other unrelated corporate bank accounts. Reportedly the - indictment, between Feb. 1, 2011, & Jan. 31, 2012, the - defendants would &
did victimize approximately 1000 victims living in Canada & throughout the - United States in addition to the - Southern District of Texas, & deposited in to eight bank accounts approximately $6,925,137.04 in fraudulently obtained timeshare owner funds. Approximately $5,945,433.04 in victim funds were retained by, & subsequently transferred into, other accounts controlled by the - defendants. The charges are the - result of an investigation conducted by U.S. Secret Service & IRS-CI with assistance by the - FBI – Las Vegas NV field office & the - San Francisco office of the - Environmental Protection Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Martha Minnis & Katherine Haden are prosecuting the - case. ###
