Locksmith tech among those facing federal charges

One local locksmith technician and two others from Florida are facing federal charges involving a scam of overcharging customers for locksmith services, Acting United States Attorney Michael W. Reap announced today.

Charged in a criminal complaint:

Eliyahu Barhanun, a.k.a. Eli Barhanun, a.k.a. Eli Barhanin, 29, Creve Coeur, MO; David Peer, 31; and Moshe Aharoni, 28, both of the Clearwater, Florida area.

According to the affidavit filed with the federal complaint made public today, Dependable Locks, Inc., is incorporated in New York and headquartered in Clearwater, Florida.  They manage a national network of at least one hundred locksmith technicians, operating from major population centers across the United States, including St. Louis, MO.  It also maintains a full-time staff of 20 to 30 telephone dispatchers, who are on duty at any time, 24 hours per day in Clearwater. The dispatchers receive phone calls electronically forwarded from hundreds to thousands of telephone numbers listed nationwide for emergency locksmith services, all of which forward consumer calls to the call center in Clearwater.  The dispatchers receive the calls and dispatch locksmith technicians from the area of the call to respond.  Many of the locksmith technicians working for Dependable Locks are aliens who entered the United States either illegally, or are on visas that do not permit them to work as locksmith technicians.

Consumer complaints filed by customers in the State of Missouri indicate a persistent pattern of fraudulent price quotation and overcharging by Dependable Locks locksmith technicians.  In 37 of 64 consumer complaints relating to Dependable Locks filed with the Missouri Attorney General's Office, the customer reported that he/she was quoted a certain price on the phone, and then was charged a significantly higher price by the responding locksmith technician at the scene.

The complaint alleges that telephone dispatchers for Dependable Locks were instructed by managers to quote a price of $54 for a car lockout, while the responding technician was instructed by managers to charge up to $179 once services had been provided.  The telephone dispatchers were instructed to misrepresent or understate the possibility of additional charges above the price quoted.  The market rate for a standard car lockout is typically about $60.  The locksmiths were instructed to charge significantly more than the price quoted, and significantly more than usual market rates.  Technicians use techniques such as accusing the consumer who objects to the overcharge of "theft of services," threatening to call the police, withholding the customer's keys or driver's license, or following the customer to an ATM machine to ensure payment.

The locksmith technicians allegedly are allowed to split the profits of the fraudulently procured locksmith services with the company, typically 50/50 or 60/40, and that the technicians are required to remit the company's share of the proceeds by regularly purchasing and shipping money orders to the Dependable Locks location in Clearwater, FL.

The affidavit states that Eliyahu Barhanun, David Peer and Moshe Aharoni conspired with the managers of Dependable Locks to implement a scheme to procure overcharges for locksmith services.

Eliyahu Barhanun, a.k.a. Eli Barhanun, a.k.a. Eli Barhanin, 29, Creve Coeur, MO, is charged in with a felony violation of structuring financial transactions to avoid federal reporting requirements, in violation of 31 U.S.C. § 5324; and conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1341, 1343, and 1956, all in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371.

David Peer, 31; and Moshe Aharoni, 28, both of the Clearwater, Florida area, are each charged with conspiracy to recruit and employ aliens who are not authorized to work in the United States, in violation of 8 U.S.C. §§ 1324 and 1324a; mail and wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1341 and 1343;and engaging in financial transactions to promote unlawful activity, in violation of 18 U.S.C.

§ 1956; all in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371.

Each of the above violations carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000.

US Postal Inspectors have established a hotline for those believing they are victims of this scheme.  The phone will not be manned, however callers will be asked to leave contact information which will trigger an investigative response.  The phone number for victims is 314-539-9441.

Reap commended the work on the case by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Missouri Attorney General’s Office, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement; and Assistant United States Attorney John Sauer, who is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The charges set forth in a complaint are merely accusations, and each defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.