An organized crime strike force has unveiled the results of their two year investigation into a Eurasian crime ring that may have stolen millions. Nearly two dozen suspects were rounded up in Las Vegas and in California.
Law enforcement officials released specifics Tuesday about what they say is a massive fraud and counterfeiting operation.
Two suspects are still on the run, but the task force made up of FBI, Secret Service Agents, and detectives from Metro and Henderson, along with other agencies, did a remarkable job of scooping up nearly everyone they wanted to nab.
Read the indictments against the suspects
In all, 22 suspects were arrested, 15 were named Tuesday on federal charges. 10 will face state charges and while the allegations do not involve violent crime, lawmen were taking no chances.
Many of the agents who staged lightning-fast raids all over the Las Vegas valley on Monday morning carried heavy firepower, just in case. The suspects never saw it coming. At least one was literally yanked out of the shower and slapped with cuffs.
The crimes outlined in the previously sealed indictment are non-violent but law enforcement sources say eastern European mobsters who have flooded Las Vegas in recent years are known to exhibit extreme violence.
SLIDESHOW: Mug Shots of Alleged Organized Crime Ring
"We don't know what to believe when you are dealing with people who will commit these types of crimes for their gain. These are prolific criminals in our community. We take them very seriously and they are capable of anything," said Metro Deputy Chief Greg McCurdy.
Along with Metro Police, the FBI, Secret Service, and other agencies assigned to the Organized Crime Strike Force participated in an afternoon news conference to spell out the work that's been done over the past two years to nab this many suspects.
U.S. Attorney Greg Brower explained how the crime ring would recruit employees at casinos and restaurants to help them steal credit and debit card information, which was then used to create counterfeit cards.
"Counterfeit cards, which were then used to unlawfully obtain hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of cash and other items here in the Las Vegas area," he said.
Brower said the ring stole more than $1.5 million, that they know of, but admits it could be a lot more.
Other law enforcement sources say Eurasian organized crime groups have been known to rip off more than a million dollars in a single weekend in Las Vegas, which suggests there are other targets still out there under investigation.
Brower hinted that there's a lot more to come because this kind of fraud is so prevalent in southern Nevada, "These indictments and arrests are the first results from the area here today. Let me be clear about this; the identity theft and credit card fraud problem is very significant here in Las Vegas."
I-Team sources say Las Vegas has organized crime groups from Bulgaria, Albania, Armenia, Russia, and other countries, but those groups are now in the crosshairs of law enforcement and have been under surveillance for a long time.
