Anchorage, Alaska - U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced today that a Wasilla man has been indicted on federal wire fraud charges which arose from an alleged scheme that defrauded Alaska consumers.
Dmitry Kudryn, 32, of Wasilla, was named in the indictment charging him with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Kudryn’s arraignment hearing is scheduled for today at 3:30 p.m. before Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Deborah M. Smith.
According to the indictment, from July 2014 to the present date, Kudryn allegedly participated in a scheme to defraud Alaska consumers by falsely representing furniture manufactured in China that he sold in Alaska as having been manufactured in Italy. Kudryn purchased hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of wholesale furniture from a manufacturer in China and would then offer that same furniture for sale in Alaska, primarily advertised on the Craigslist.com internet marketplace.
The indictment further alleges that, as part of the long-running scheme, Kudryn would mislead and induce consumers in Alaska by posting materially false Craigslist.com advertisements. Specifically, the Craigslist advertisements would falsely represent the furniture as “Italian leather furniture," and that each unit was worth $4800 “shipped from the lower 48." Kudryn would then arrange for the retail sale of the furniture to individuals in Alaska for approximately $2400 per unit, when in reality he allegedly purchased them for less than half that amount.
Anyone with further information, questions, or concerns regarding the activities of Dmitry Kudryn are encouraged to call Homeland Security Investigations in Anchorage at (907) 271-3104.
If convicted, Kudryn faces up to 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. Under federal sentencing statutes, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Alexander.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
