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Area Police

Eden man arraigned in death of mother

BUFFALO – Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announced that 49-year-old Wayne Kozak of Eden has been arraigned before State Supreme Court Justice John L. Michalski on an indictment charging him with second-degree murder for the death of his mother.

At 4 p.m. on April 20, Eden Police responded to 8925 E. Eden Road, where they found the defendant’s mother, 79-year-old Mary Kozak, fatally shot.

Wayne Kozak was located several hours later at a motel in Erie, Pennsylvania and was taken into custody.

Kozak pleaded not guilty and was remanded to jail without bail.

Flynn commended the investigative work of the Eden Police Department and New York State Police.

Chief Colleen Curtin Gable of the DA’s Homicide Bureau and Assistant District Attorney Colin X. Fitzgerald are prosecuting the case.

Alleged Salamanca money launderer arraigned in Buffalo

OBSERVER Staff Report

BUFFALO — Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy Jr. has announced that Sergiy Bezrukov, 33, of Salamanca, pleaded not guilty to a 48-count indictment charging him with conspiracy to defraud, mail fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud and money laundering. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Trini Ross, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, the defendant operated fraudulent debt restructuring businesses out of two offices that he opened in the Western New York area.

Bezrukov allegedly sent solicitation letters under various false and fictitious names, offering to assist small businesses with restructuring high-interest loans. After the small businesses agreed to work with the defendant and his company, Bezrukov allegedly withdrew sums of money from the accounts of the small businesses and used those funds for purposes not associated with assisting the small businesses. When the small business owners attempted to contact the defendant or others at the fraudulent company, they would get no response. Bezrukov used the fraudulent debt restricting business to defraud approximately 200 victims out of $1.2 million.

Bezrukov pleaded not guilty and is being detained.

The indictment is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector-in-Charge Shelly Binkowski, Boston Division, special agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly, and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge James D. Robnett, New York Field Office.

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