Alec Simchuk, Russian mobster, gets three years in prison for Florida scam
(CBS/AP) MIAMI - A Russian mobster was sentenced Friday to three years in federal prison for running a scam to lure wealthy tourists into secret bars in Florida and then charge them huge amounts on their credit cards.
Federal prosecutors sought a light sentence for 46-year-old Alec Simchuk because he returned voluntarily from Russia to plead guilty and testify against his cohorts, despite assaults and threats against both his and his wife's life.
U.S. District Judge Robert Scola agreed, even shaving four months off the prosecutor's recommended prison term.
"I think he should be given credit for coming here and facing the music," U.S. District Judge Robert Scola said.
Simchuk testified that he came to Miami Beach in 2009 from Riga, Latvia with a few dozen attractive Russian and Eastern European women who worked as "B-Girls," which is short for "Bar Girls." The women trolled legitimate South Beach clubs looking for rich men and then invited them back to private clubs operated by Simchuk's gang.
Once inside, the women got the men exceedingly drunk and then rung up huge alcohol charges on their credit cards. The clubs even had vases where the women would pour out drinks so the men would have to order more.
One victim, former Philadelphia TV weatherman John Bolaris, testified that he was charged some $43,000 over two nights through the scheme. Dozens of men were fraudulently charged between $400,000 and $1 million, according to court records. The total is still being calculated.
Simchuk initially fled to Russia, which has no extradition treaty with the U.S., just before he and 18 others were indicted by a federal grand jury in 2011. He agreed to surrender and cooperate a year later even though his leg was broken by mobsters after Simchuk received a threatening phone call from 31-year-old Albert Takhalov, who was convicted in the recent U.S. trial.
Simchuk pleaded guilty to charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to defraud the U.S., which could have landed him in prison for a much longer term. Simchuk said he was sorry in court Friday and pleaded for another chance to live an honest life.
His attorney, Michael B. Cohen, said Simchuk's cooperation was key to the convictions of Takhalov and two other men in December. They each face more than 20 years in prison when they are sentenced later this year.
"He did his job. He did what he was supposed to do," Cohen said.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Thakur said Simchuk initially lied about how he broke his leg, telling investigators he slipped on ice. But Cohen said that was only to protect his wife, who was still in Russia at the time.
In all, 12 of those charged in the scheme pleaded guilty, including most of the "B-Girls" who were subsequently deported. Three men were convicted in last year's trial. One suspect remains a fugitive, and another is scheduled for trial in the coming months.