North Hollywood Man Admits To Smuggling Cocaine Shipments

LOS ANGELES, CA —A North Hollywood man agreed to plead guilty to federal criminal charges that he conspired to smuggle more than 88 pounds of cocaine — concealed and suspended in grease — in household products that were mailed to Australia, then laundered up to $3.5 million of the proceeds, it was announced Friday.

Vardges Markosyan, 47, whose aliases include David Petrosov, Giani Oncho and Laram Narman, agreed to plead guilty at a later date to a two-count criminal information charging him with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and conspiracy to engage in money laundering, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Markosyan admitted in his Friday plea agreement in federal court that from December 2014 until October 2016, he was involved in a drug conspiracy that procured cocaine and shipped it to Australia.

The drugs would be suspended in grease and placed in empty household products such as log splitters, air compressors, tankless water heaters, lamp stands and air conditioners, according to the document.

Court papers state that the shipped packages were sent via commercial carrier to Australia, where they were then distributed.

Markosyan also admitted in his plea agreement that he conspired with his sister, Iren Markosyan, to launder the proceeds between May 2014 and January 2019. Markosyan admitted that he used his sister's name -- with her knowledge -- to purchase properties in North Hollywood and Studio City.

Markosyan and his sister obtained hard-money loans secured against these properties, and spent the net proceeds of these loans after transferring them to various accounts, according to court papers.

In December, Markosyan received $234,442 from the sale of the North Hollywood property, according to federal prosecutors. He has agreed to forfeit to the U.S. Government his interest in the Studio City property, held in his sister' name, as well as a 1996 Carver 38 boat and a 2005 Caribe boat also held in her name, prosecutors said.

The charges to which Markosyan has agreed to plead guilty carry a possible sentence of between 10 years and life in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

For her role in the scheme, Iren Markosyan pleaded guilty on May 13 to one felony count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. She has agreed to forfeit the Studio City property, as well as a judgment in the amount of $234,442, and her interest in the aforementioned boats. She faces a maximum possible sentence of 20 years in federal prison, prosecutors said.

City News Service