Two western Washington men, related by marriage, were indicted by a federal grand jury this week for 11 criminal counts related to their conspiracy to traffic in stolen goods, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman.
Vitaliy F. Bobak, 52, of Federal Way, Washington and Andrey A. Balun, 57, of Bellevue, Washington and Las Vegas, jointly owned MBA Trading LLC, which did business at a Burien, Washington storefront operating as “We Buy Gold, Silver, and Electronics.” An extensive law enforcement investigation alleges the storefront knowingly purchased goods stolen from area retailers, which the pair then sold on Amazon or eBay for millions of dollars in profit. The two are scheduled for arraignment on August 1, 2024.
“The purchase and trafficking of these stolen goods fuels the organized retail theft that has so damaged our local retailers,” said U.S. Attorney Gorman. “If the “boosters,” as they are called, had no market for these stolen goods, they would stop their rampant theft from our retailers. We are committed to using our federal resources to put a dent in this illegal trafficking.”
“These aren’t just random shoplifters or boosters. These are thefts that are being coordinated as part of a sophisticated network that targets legitimate businesses, confusing consumers and creating a ripple effect that makes it more difficult for retailers to operate,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest. “Through our many partnerships across law enforcement and the private sector, HSI will use every resource at our disposal to protect businesses while ensuring justice is served.”
According to the detailed indictment, between January 2018 and December 2023, the storefront the men operated purchased goods that were clearly stolen items. In many instances, the goods still had anti-theft devices attached and stickers saying for sale only at a particular retailer.
The men bought the goods far below the retail price and then posted them for sale on two websites they operated on Amazon or eBay. The Amazon store was called ‘Medikus’, and the eBay store was called ‘abcstore555’. The indictment traces the money from the online stores to the men’s bank accounts.
The men then used the funds to operate the scheme by paying cash to the “boosters” (people who stole the goods) or payroll to employees who posted and shipped the goods for sale. The men also used the cash for their personal expenses, such as paying $67,000 in cash for a new Lexus or making a large downpayment for a home in Las Vegas.
The scale of the sales was huge, both national and international. An analysis of the sales of the two online stores reveals that between January 1, 2022, and November 28, 2023, there were over 150,000 sale transactions through the abcstore555 eBay and Medikus Amazon stores, with a combined sales total of over $4.5 million. When search warrants were served and merchandise seized on December 19, 2023, the conspirators possessed more than 74,000 items of stolen merchandise valued at approximately $2.4 million.
The men are charged with conspiracy to transport stolen property in interstate commerce, interstate transportation of stolen property, conspiracy to commit money laundering, three counts of concealment money laundering, and five counts of money laundering.
Conspiracy to transport stolen property is punishable by up to five years in prison. Interstate transportation of stolen property is punishable by up to ten years in prison. Conspiracy to commit money laundering is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. The various money laundering counts are punishable by up to 10 or 20 years in prison.
