According to a press release from the Office of the Inspector General, on May 9, 2014, Yaron Roni Levin was sentenced to 33 months in jail, 36 months of supervision and ordered to pay $92,161.51 in restitution for household goods moving fraud.
On January 9, 2012, Levin, “Liat Lee Levin, Francisco Guevara, John Allen Darby, Golden Hand Moving LLC, and Movers USA LLC, were indicted in U.S. District Court, Denver, Colorado, on charges of conspiracy, wire fraud, extortion, making a false bill of lading and theft from interstate shipment. Golden Hand Moving LLC, subsequently d/b/a Movers USA LLC is owned and operated by the Levins,” the OIG states.
Levin is the owner of Movers USA/Golden Hand Movers.
On November 1, 2013, Levin pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and admitted to gaining customers by offering low moving estimates then inflating the cost of transportation. When the customers refused to pay the new price, Levin held their goods hostage until the demanded price was paid and even threatened to auction their goods.
The OIG reports that Levin “routinely double quoted estimates of an average of increase of $2,000 to $5,000,” however some customers were charged as much as $10,000.
Movers USA/Golden Hand Movers was investigated by the OIG’s “Operation Box Up” team which is a national investigation team that helps locate, identify and prosecute HHG carriers that defraud customers.
The investigation revealed that over 75 customers were victimized by the scheme.
The case was investigated by the Office of the Inspector General, FBI and the FMCSA.