Brooklyn Man Convicted of Money Laundering Scheme in Connection With Theft of Millions of Dollars from Foreign Banks

A federal jury in Brooklyn today convicted Alex Levin on both counts of an indictment charging him with conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to violate the Travel Act in connection with his role in a scheme that resulted in the theft of millions of dollars and property from safe deposit boxes at multiple banks outside of the United States, including in Ukraine, Russia, North Macedonia, Moldova, Latvia, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan.  The verdict followed a seven-day trial before United States District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall.  When sentenced, Levin faces up to 10 years in prison.

Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Ivan J. Arvelo, Special Agent-in-Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI), and Christie M. Curtis, Acting Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the verdict.

“The jury found that Levin played an integral role in a highly sophisticated and well-organized international crew of thieves who stole millions of dollars’ worth of jewelry and cash from banks in Eastern Europe,” stated United States Attorney Peace.  “Levin’s role here in Brooklyn of laundering the cash and purchasing equipment used in the break-ins of safe deposit boxes overseas was crucial to the crew’s success, but with today’s verdict, that role proved to be the defendant’s undoing.”

Mr. Peace also thanked the U.S. Customs and Border Protection for their valuable assistance to the investigation.

“Alex Levin’s conviction signals the downfall of an individual at the center of an international crime spree that utilized technology and illicit methodologies to exploit vulnerabilities within financial institutions around the world.  Today’s verdict proves once again that even the most sophisticated bank heists are no match for HSI New York and our law enforcement partners, both domestic and abroad,” stated HSI New York Special Agent-in-Charge Arvelo.  “I commend the Long Island-based HSI Financial Crimes Group, the Eastern District of New York and the FBI for consistently proving no criminal is too savvy to evade justice.”

FBI Acting Assistant Director in Charge Curtis stated: “Using sophisticated camera tools that he purchased here in Brooklyn, Levin and his international co-conspirators stole from safe deposit boxes belonging to innocent bank customers through a string of thefts across the globe. Today’s verdict is demonstrative of the FBI’s commitment to holding people accountable for their attempts to unlawfully obtain money and valuable items, and we applaud the investigative efforts of our office as well as our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s office in delivering this outcome.”

As proved at trial, between March 2015 and October 2019, Levin was a member of a sophisticated group that targeted foreign banks that appeared to lack strong security features.  Members of the conspiracy posed as customers at the target banks and rented safe deposit boxes.  After gaining access to safe deposit box rooms, the conspirators used specialized medical equipment to take photographs of the inside of the locks of other customers’ safe deposit boxes.  Using these photographs, the conspirators created duplicate keys for the safe deposit boxes in order to steal money and valuables from customers at the foreign banks.

Levin’s role in the conspiracy was based in Brooklyn.  He assisted in laundering the proceeds of the scheme to the United States.  For example, around the time of various bank heists in Ukraine, a company used in furtherance of the unlawful scheme wired the unlawful proceeds to the defendant.  Specifically, on July 31, 2015, Glenport Merchants LLP, a company with a Latvian bank account, wired $150,000 to Levin.  Shortly thereafter, Levin wired $144,727 to a member of the conspiracy who personally participated in the bank heists.

Levin also used bank accounts in the United States, including accounts located in the Eastern District of New York, to purchase sophisticated camera equipment used in the thefts, including borescopes, which are small, specialized, medical grade cameras.

This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation.  OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level money launderers and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Lorena Michelen, Lauren A. Bowman and Megan Larkin are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Wesley Roberts.   

The Defendant:

ALEX LEVIN
Age:  55
Brooklyn, New York

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 21-CR-208 (LDH)