Order of Detention — United States v. Vahe Margaryan (Central District of California, Document 53)

Summary

This is an order of detention in the Central District of California, Case No. 25-MJ-3132, United States of America against Vahe Margaryan, dated May 28, 2025. It states that the defendant made an initial appearance on the criminal complaint that day, followed by a detention hearing. The Court concludes the Government is not entitled to a rebuttable presumption, but finds that no condition or combination of conditions will reasonably assure the defendant's appearance or the safety of any person or the community. The stated bases include unverified and inconsistent background information, a history of foreign travel, insufficient bond resources, and the seriousness of the allegations in the criminal complaint. The defendant is committed to the custody of the Attorney General.

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“Order of Detention — United States v. Vahe Margaryan (Central District of California, Document 53).” Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/court-filing-no-2-25-mj-03132-dkt-53-c-d-cal-94aca21746/, SHA-256 fbc890f77186f5419cf4327141d37306b232d9ea756240da234849852d0fe41d.

Full text

Case 2:25-mj-03132-DUTY Document 53 Filed 05/28/25 Page 1 of 5 Page ID #:323

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FILED
CLERK, U.S . DISTRICT COURT
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4 MAY 28 al!5
5 CENTRAL DIST. ICT F CALIFORNIA
BY DEPUTY
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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
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FOR THE CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
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12 Case No. 25-MJ-3132
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
13 ORDER OF DETENTION
Plaintiff,
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V.
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VAHEMARGARYAN,
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17 Defendant.
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Case 2:25-mj-03132-DUTY Document 53 Filed 05/28/25 Page 2 of 5 Page ID #:324

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1 I.
2 On May 28, 2025, Defendant Vahe Margaryan made his initial appearance
3 on the criminal complaint filed in this case. Defendant was represented by retained
4 counsel, Michael Zweiback and Lillian Chu. The government was represented by
5 Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Avies. A detention hearing was held.
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7 □ On motion of the Government [18 U.S.C. § 3142(±)(1)] in a case
8 allegedly involving a narcotics or controlled substance offense with maximum
9 sentence of ten or more years.
10 On motion by the Government or on the Court's own motion
11 [18 U.S.C. § 3142(±)(2)] in a case allegedly involving a serious risk that the
12 defendant will flee.
13 The Court concludes that the Government is not entitled to a rebuttable
14 presumption that no condition or combination of conditions will reasonably assure
15 the defendant's appearance as required and the safety or any person or the
16 community [18 U.S.C. § 3142(e)(2)].
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18 The Court finds that no condition or combination of conditions will
19 reasonably assure: IX! the appearance of the defendant as required.
20 IX! the safety of any person or the community.
21 III.
22 The Court has considered: (a) the nature and circumstances of the offense(s)
23 charged, including whether the offense is a crime of violence, a Federal crime of
24 terrorism, or involves a minor victim or a controlled substance, firearm, explosive,
25 or destructive device; (b) the weight of evidence against the defendant; (c) the
26 history and characteristics of the defendant; and (d) the nature and seriousness of
27 the danger to any person or the community. [18 U.S.C. § 3142(g)] The Court also
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Case 2:25-mj-03132-DUTY Document 53 Filed 05/28/25 Page 3 of 5 Page ID #:325

1 considered the information reported by United States Probation and Pretrial

2 Services in the report that was prepared for the Court.
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4 IV.
5 The Court bases its conclusions on the following:
6 As to risk of non-appearance:
7 IXl Certain background information is unverified and inconsistent
8 (Defendant reports that he lives with his ex-wife and minor children at a residence
9 that he is the sole owner; but his ex-wife reports that Defendant has been residing
10 at an unknown residence in Sunland, California and occasionally spends the night
11 at their residence; Defendant reports that he has been divorced from his ex-wife for
12 two years but his ex-wife reports that they have been divorced for five years).
13 Neither Defendant nor his ex-wife provided information regarding Defendant's
14 finances, assets or liabilities, mental health or substance use.
15 IXl History of foreign travel, including travel in 2024 to Armenia
16 use of multiple name variations and aliases, two dates of birth and two
17 social security numbers
18 IXl Given the allegations in the criminal complaint, indictment, Defendant
19 appears to have access to substantial financial resources, including multiple bank
20 accounts in the names of businesses (shell companies) and other individuals, and
21 caused the proceeds of the alleged fraud to be deposited into, and transferred
22 among, these accounts. The allegations in the complaint include significant
23 transfers of fraud proceeds to foreign countries, including Armenia. Defendant's
24 unwillingness to provide information about his finances suggests that he has access
25 to significant financial resources, including in foreign countries.
26 IXl Insufficient bond resources: Defendant's proffered surety is a target in
27 the investigation.
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Case 2:25-mj-03132-DUTY Document 53 Filed 05/28/25 Page 4 of 5 Page ID #:326

1 As to danger to the community:
2 ~ Seriousness of allegations in the criminal complaint which charges
3 Defendant with master-minding a fraud conspiracy relating to government claims,
4 submitting false and fictitious applications for millions of dollars in government
5 loan relief programs, wire fraud, bank fraud, conspiracy to commit money
6 laundering and money laundering. The proceeds of the alleged fraud involving
7 millions of dollars are unaccounted for. Defendant was in the process of obtaining
8 a fraudulent loan in 2025, indicating that release would pose a continued economic
9 threat.
10 ~ Defendant is alleged to have threatened an individual who questioned
11 whether the actions Defendant was directing the individual to take were legal, and
12 also threatened another person with a baseball bat and gun.
13 ~ A search of Defendant's residence at the time of his arrest revealed
14 two fully loaded handguns, $20,000 in cash, cash wrappers, a cash counting
15 machines, and a baseball bat, which support a finding that Defendant was involved
16 in laundering money, and threatening others.
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Case 2:25-mj-03132-DUTY Document 53 Filed 05/28/25 Page 5 of 5 Page ID #:327

1 V.
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3 The defendant will be committed to the custody of the Attorney General for
4 confinement in a corrections facility separate, to the extent practicable, from
5 persons awaiting or serving sentences or being held in custody pending appeal.
6 The defendant will be afforded reasonable opportunity for private consultation
7 with counsel. On order of a Court of the United States or on request of any
8 attorney for the Government, the person in charge of the corrections facility in
9 which defendant is confined will deliver the defendant to a United States Marshal
1O for the purpose of an appearance in connection with a court proceeding.
11 [18 U.S.C. § 3142(i)]
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Dated: May 28, 2025
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14 ALKASAGAR
UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE
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