He faces a term of imprisonment of up to 20 years and a potential fine of $250,000
In the U.S., a 29-year-old Canadian man pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to commit wire fraud involving a scheme to fraudulently acquire personal protective equipment and event tickets.
At sentencing, Mesrop faces a term of imprisonment of up to 20 years and a potential fine of $250,000. He has been in custody since his arrest on March 18, 2021.
Mesrop, from Richmond Hill, Ont., is one of the five men charged in the U.S. back in April for the crime.
According to the superseding indictment, Mesrop and his associates operated a scheme to use stolen credit card and identity information to induce businesses to provide goods and services, such as event tickets and personal protective equipment, to resell for a profit.
“At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the conspirators began targeting U.S.-based businesses selling goods that were scarce due to the pandemic. The conspirators allegedly used stolen credit card information to purchase items such as nitrile gloves, masks, and gowns and to resell them to third parties,” according to the indictment.
It alleges that the conspirators operated the scheme from Canada, the Dominican Republic, Spain, Greece, and Dubai, and that the conspirators targeted sports teams and event venues throughout the U.S. and Canada, including Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Mesrop and his associates also used 21 different alias email accounts and information from 52 stolen credit cards to purchase over 1,800 tickets to Oklahoma State University athletic events between November 2019 and January 2020, according to the indictment.
In March 2020, the conspirators allegedly used stolen credit card information to purchase approximately thousands of dollars’ worth of toilet paper from a paper supply company in Oklahoma City.
