Extortion suspects recorded

Federal authorities have provided another glimpse in court papers of the tough-talking, violent world of reputed Israeli crime figures in Las Vegas.

In arguing to keep Yakov Cohen, a 24-year-old Israeli citizen charged with extortion, behind bars, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Frayn pointed to several recorded conversations of Cohen threatening physical violence against local kiosk operators and bragging about his ties to the Israeli mob.

Among those charged in an April 27 extortion indictment with Cohen, who lives in Las Vegas, is Israeli-born Moshe Barmuha, a 37-year-old Southern California man law enforcement authorities have linked to a violent Israeli crime syndicate.

Barmuha’s lower right arm was amputated after a pipe bomb he planted underneath a rival’s car in Israel prematurely exploded, authorities said.

Barmuha, who is in federal custody in Los Angeles, Cohen and two other men are charged with attempting to extort thousands of dollars from two Israeli-born businessmen, Moshe “Moshiko” Ozana and Moshe “Chiko” Karmi, who run small electronics and cosmetics kiosks at local outlet malls.

The businessmen had sought protection from Las Vegas police.

Cohen’s lawyers, David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld, are trying to free him while he fights the charges, contending he is simply a businessman with no criminal record or known ties to organized crime.

But in one secretly recorded conversation, police and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents overheard Cohen threatening violence against Ozana and his family in Israel, Frayn wrote in her court papers.

“I just cooked a move for him, and you will see what’s gonna happen,” Cohen told a confidential government informant. “But the move I’m gonna do is not going to be here. It’s going to be in Israel. Cause this (expletive) brought the police. In Israel, he can turn on the police a thousand times, and I’m gonna shut it off. ... When it comes to money, I’m not letting go.”

Later in that conversation, Frayn said, Cohen told the informant that one of Ozana’s cars “is supposed to explode in Israel and only then they will start under­standing and cooperate.”

Cohen is charged with hiring two Russian-born associates, who also are charged in the case, to physically assault the other businessman, Karmi, in Las Vegas in January. Authorities say Karmi pulled out a revolver during the attack and shot one of his attackers in the buttocks as they ran away.

Frayn said that when Cohen was asked whether Barmuha had sent the “Russian guys” to harm Karmi, Cohen responded: “No, I sent them. They are my own people. These people are not like from a grand family, but they’re pretty messed up people.”

In a secretly recorded conversation with another confidential informant, Cohen was asked whether his dispute with the kiosk operators could be resolved with the help of the “rabbis.”

According to an affidavit filed by ICE Agent Peter Lazaro, Cohen responded, “No, but I don’t believe, like, in rabbis.”

Then, Cohen added, “From my experience in life, maybe they are the mafia, but they solved a lot of issues for me in my life. And that’s from my experience.”

Authorities believe the extortion plot is an example of the Israeli mob’s renewed interest in Las Vegas.

Israeli crime figures, who have a reputation for violence in Israel, are involved in traditional rackets such as loan-sharking, extortion, money laundering, prostitution and illegal gambling, authorities say. Their activities in Las Vegas revolve around lucrative illegal trafficking in Ecstasy, a popular drug on the Las Vegas nightclub scene.

In her court papers, Frayn said Cohen disclosed in his last two tax returns that he makes $80,000 a year as a businessman.

“However, it appears that while the income that defendant Cohen declares for tax purposes is modest, he actually has the ability to access millions of dollars,” Frayn wrote.

Records show that $4 million in deposits were made in one of Cohen’s bank accounts between January 2009 and February of this year, Lazaro said.

Cohen’s lawyers said in court papers that the account is tied to Cohen’s own kiosk businesses.

Frayn contends Cohen is a flight risk and a danger to the community.

“The government maintains that there are no conditions of release, or combination of release conditions, which will assure the defendants appearance at future court proceedings and will secure the safety of the victims, the United States community and the Israeli community,” Frayn wrote.

Contact Jeff German at jgerman@reviewjournal.com
or 702-380-8135 or read more courts coverage at lvlegalnews.com.