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Brooklyn Woman Pleads Guilty in Large-Scale Fraud Scheme involving Prescription Medications

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Department of Justice
Western District of Pennsylvania 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, October 5, 2022

PITTSBURGH - A resident of Brooklyn, New York, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of Wire Fraud Conspiracy, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.

Tamara Feldman, also known as Tamara Petrova, age 34, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge David Stewart Cercone.

In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Feldman participated in a fraud scheme along with Devan Abrams, Azad Khizgilov, Roman Shaulov and others. Abrams, Khizgilov, and Shaulov all pleaded guilty to a similar charge and all were sentenced to terms of imprisonment. The large-scale and sophisticated fraud scheme facilitated the black-market importation and sale of tens of millions of dollars of dangerous and addictive prescription medications. In summary, the conspirators established and ran a business that, through a series of misrepresentations, misled various credit card companies into processing credit card transactions for on-line purchases of drugs that were illegal to be sold in the United States. These drugs were often imported from Russia, China, India, and other countries. The complex scheme involved front companies, fake websites, and a tangled web of bank accounts. Feldman participated in the scheme by opening fraudulent merchant accounts and overseeing fraudulent payments.

Judge Cercone scheduled sentencing for March 23, 2023, at 1:00 pm. The law provides for a total sentence of twenty years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Food and Drug Administration – Office of Criminal Investigations, Homeland Security Investigations, Pennsylvania State Police and United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Feldman and her conspirators.

Topic(s): 
Prescription Drugs
Financial Fraud

Component(s): 
USAO - Pennsylvania, Western
 

 
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