Joint Law Enforcement Operation Results In Arrests And Federal Drug Trafficking And Money Laundering Charges

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Federal indictments in the District of Nevada have been unsealed, charging six defendants with nearly 100 criminal charges in connection with an alleged drug trafficking ring and money laundering conspiracy.

These charges are the result of a global joint investigation, “Operation Money Maker,” comprised of nine law enforcement agencies that worked closely together to target a crime organization.

According to allegations set forth in the indictments:

• Barak Amar (51, of Las Vegas) conspired with others to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine, a Schedule II controlled substance. He is indicted on one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and one count of distribution of a controlled substance.

• Arshak Arayan (41, of Los Angeles, California) conspired with others to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine. He is indicted on one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and six counts of distribution of a controlled substance.

• Ofir Frieden (38, of San Jose, California) conspired with others to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine. He is indicted on 45 counts of money laundering, eight counts of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, and ten counts of distribution of a controlled substance.

• Djekem Kedoshim (31, of Seattle, Washington) is a business owner who wrote a business check in the amount of illegal drug proceeds to co-conspirators. He is indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and four counts of money laundering.

• Moshe Malka (36, of Las Vegas) conspired with others to deposit illegal cash proceeds into his bank account and wrote checks to co-conspirators for the cash received. He is indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and ten counts of money laundering.

• Shine True (39, of Phoenix, Arizona) conspired with others to deposit illegal cash proceeds into her bank account and wrote checks to co-conspirators for the cash received. She is indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and eight counts of money laundering.

“Our office appreciates the opportunity to partner with the FBI and law enforcement agencies across the world to combat the flow of cocaine into our communities and stop the laundering of illegal drug proceeds,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Christopher Chiou for the District of Nevada. “The hard work and dedication of our law enforcement partners made it possible to disrupt this crime operation.”

“This is a brilliant example of the power of the international partnerships the FBI enjoys to combat the most dangerous organizations in the world,” said Special Agent in Charge Aaron C. Rouse for the FBI. “This operation should be a wakeup call to other criminals that regardless of where they think they can hide; the FBI and its partners will find them and bring them to justice.”

An indictment merely alleges that a crime has been committed. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

If convicted, the statutory maximum penalties for each count faced by each defendant are:

This case was investigated by the FBI with significant assistance by the Australian Federal Police, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Colombian National Police, the Costa Rican Judicial Investigation Organization, the Israeli National Police, the SRI – Romanian Intelligence Service, and the UK National Crime Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel R. Schiess is prosecuting the case.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States, using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

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