Two Defendants Charged with Obstructing Justice in
Investigation
WASHINGTON
–Five people, all members of the same family, have been indicted on federal
charges alleging that they took part in a $4 million extortion and money
laundering scheme. A sixth family member has been indicted on charges of
tampering with a witness.
The
indictments were announced today by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Nancy
McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office,
and Michael E. Horowitz, Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Justice.
Five of
the defendants are to appear this afternoon for a status hearing before the
Honorable Emmet G. Sullivan in the U.S. District Court for the District of
Columbia. They earlier pled not guilty to charges in the indictment. The
indictment was returned on April 19, 2018, and unsealed on April 25, 2018.
Those
scheduled to make court appearances today include Archie Kaslov, 51, his wife,
Candy Evans, 48, and their sons: Tony John Evans, 29; Robert Evans, 30, and
Corry Blue Evans, 25. All are from New York, N.Y. Gina Rita Russell, 29, of Los
Angeles, Calif., remains in custody while awaiting extradition to the District
of Columbia. She is the common law spouse of Robert Evans.
According
to the indictment, from approximately November 2016 through approximately April
2017, Kaslov, Tony John Evans, Robert Evans, Corry Blue Evans, and Russell
engaged in a wide-ranging scheme to
enrich themselves through the extortion and attempted extortion of others and
through the scheme received more than $4 million in cash, gold bars, and gold
coins.
The
indictment also alleges that from approximately January 2017 through June 2017,
these same five defendants engaged in a scheme to launder their fraudulent
proceeds. The indictment alleges that they used the fraudulent proceeds to
purchase, among other items, luxury merchandise, jewelry, designer watches, and
two Rolls Royce Phantom automobiles.
The
indictment further alleges that Candy Evans and Russell engaged in obstruction
of justice through various conduct, which included arranging a fraudulent
marriage in an attempt to obstruct potential witness testimony, creating a
false letter of exoneration, and coaching potential witnesses on false
information to provide to law enforcement.
With the
exception of Candy Evans, all of the defendants are charged with one count of
conspiracy to commit extortion, bank fraud, and wire fraud, and one count of
conspiracy to commit money laundering. Candy Evans is charged with three counts
of tampering with a witness. Kaslov also is charged with three counts of money
laundering. Tony Evans and Robert Evans also are charged with one count each of
interference with interstate commerce by extortion and money laundering. Corry
Blue Evans also is charged with one count each of bank fraud, wire fraud, and
money laundering. Russell also is charged with one count of interference with
interstate commerce by extortion, one count of bank fraud, one count of wire
fraud, and three counts of tampering with a witness.
An
indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation
of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless,
proven guilty.
In
announcing the charges, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director in Charge
McNamara, and Inspector General Horowitz expressed appreciation for the work
performed by Special Agents from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the
Office of the Inspector General. They also acknowledged the efforts of those
who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant
U.S. Attorney Diane Lucas, who is assisting with forfeiture issues, Paralegal
Specialists Brittany Phillips, Kristy Penny and Joshua Fein, former Paralegal
Specialist Jessica Mundi, and Forensic Accountant Bryan Snitselaar.
Finally,
they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Kent and Kondi
Kleinman, who investigated and are prosecuting the case.
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