FEDERAL GRAND JURY INDICTS 15 IN LAS VEGAS-PHILA. DRUG RING
Katie Stuhldreher
The Philadelphia Inquirer – Pennsylvania – KRTBN
Aug 10, 2007
A federal indictment of 15 people connected to a Las Vegas-Philadelphia
methamphetamine ring this week is a significant step in battling the
city’s drug problem, law enforcement officials said yesterday.
A federal grand jury accused the group — mostly Philadelphians — of
conspiring to transport more than 100 pounds of methamphetamine from
Las Vegas and California to Philadelphia. According to U.S. Attorney
Patrick Meehan, the drugs had a street value of more than $4 million.
Said Bill Hocker, a supervisor for the Drug Enforcement Administration,
in an interview yesterday: "Meth is like an epidemic out West and in
the Midwest, and now it’s coming to Philadelphia."
Authorities identified the alleged leaders of the drug ring, which
law enforcement broke up in April 2006, as Vahe Petrosyan, 33, of
Broomall; Arthur Ishkhanian, 33, of Collegeville; and Levon Arakelyan,
26, of Las Vegas.
According to the 107-count indictment, Arakelyan purchased
multiple-pound quantities of methamphetamine for $7,000 to $12,500
per pound from Las Vegas and California and transported it via
tractor-trailer to Petrosyan and Ishkhanian for sale in Philadelphia.
In March and April of 2006, authorities seized more than $290,000
in drug proceeds from the group. Petrosyan and Ishkhanian were
arrested in their homes on April 13, 2006, with a combined 11 pounds
of methamphetamine and more than $200,000 in drug money. Arakelyan,
found guilty of a previous conspiracy charge in May, was arrested on
March 31, 2006, at the Philadelphia International Airport with more
than $22,000 in alleged drug proceeds. All three men are Armenian
immigrants living in the United States legally.
Meehan said in a statement: "When you consider the dangerous impact
crystal meth can have on individuals and a community, we have to
do everything possible to make sure that it does not take root as a
major component of the drug culture in this area."
Petrosyan and Arakelyan face a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison
and Ishkhanian faces a 20-year minimum if convicted of all charges,
including conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to
distribute methamphetamine.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
