Salamanca Man Arraigned On Fraud And Money Laundering Charges

CONTACT:      Barbara Burns
PHONE:         (716) 843-5817
FAX:            (716) 551-3051

BUFFALO, N.Y. - Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Sergiy Bezrukov, 33, of Salamanca, NY, pleaded not guilty to a 48-count indictment charging him with conspiracy to defraud, mail fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Trini Ross, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, the defendant operate fraudulent debt restructuring businesses out of two offices that he opened in the Western New York area. 

Bezrukov sent solicitation letters under various false and fictitious names, offering to assist small businesses with restructuring high interest loans. After the small businesses agreed to work with the defendant and his company, Bezrukov withdrew sums of money from the accounts of the small businesses and used those funds for purposes not associated with assisting the small businesses. When the small business owners attempted to contact the defendant or others at the fraudulent company, they would get no response.  Bezrukov used the fraudulent debt restricting business to defraud approximately 200 victims out of $1,200,000 dollars.

Bezrukov pleaded not guilty and is being detained. 

The indictment is the result of an investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector-in-Charge Shelly Binkowski, Boston Division, Special Agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly, and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge James D. Robnett, New York Field Office.

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.