Crime figure sentenced in extortion attempt
A violent Israeli crime figure was sentenced to 7½ years in federal prison Friday for his leadership role in an attempted extortion scheme against two Las Vegas businessmen.
Moshe Barmuha, 38, also was ordered to pay a $12,500 fine, Nevada U.S. Attorney Daniel Bogden said.
Barmuha, who lives in Southern California, pleaded guilty last year to one count of extortion and one count of interstate travel in aid of racketeering.
He was one of five men charged in a six-count indictment with attempting to extort thousands of dollars from two Israeli-born businessmen, Moshe "Moshiko" Ozana and Moshe "Chiko" Karmi, who run small electronics and cosmetics kiosks at local outlet malls.
Federal prosecutors have said Barmuha is "known to be affiliated with a very powerful organized crime family" in Israel. His right arm was amputated below the elbow after a pipe bomb he planted in Israel underneath a rival's car prematurely exploded.
In the government's sentencing memorandum, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Frayn said Barmuha has a long criminal history in Israel, which includes about a dozen convictions between 1991 and 2003.
"Upon review, the nature of the offenses giving rise to the defendant's convictions in Israel appear to be very similar to convictions of that same nature in the United States," Frayn wrote.
The prosecutor also told Senior U.S. District Judge Roger Hunt that Barmuha had "clearly directed the actions" of his four co-defendants.
Hunt sentenced the other four men -- Yakov Cohen of Las Vegas, and Lior Zaken, Ruslan Magomedgadzhiev and Murad Magomedgadzhiev, all of Southern California -- to prison terms last year.
All five defendants pleaded guilty as part of a group deal with prosecutors.
Las Vegas police and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents uncovered the extortion scheme, which brought to light the Israeli mob's stepped-up presence in Nevada.
Israeli mobsters are involved in traditional rackets such as loan-sharking, extortion, money laundering, prostitution and illegal gambling, authorities have said.
