Former RA Consul was charged
Former Armenian Consul in Los Angeles Norayr Ghalumyan was arrested in the U.S. He was the Armenian Consul in 1999-2003.
The former consul and four others are charged with providing false documents to immigrants.
According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Services officials, Ghalumyan and the others are charged with selling letters to immigrants who are subject to deportation in which it is stated that Armenia will not grant travel documents to them. The letters were confiscated so that the U.S. government can send the immigrants back to Armenia. Each of the letters was sold for 35,000 dollars. The consul and others will face 5 years in prison if the charge is confirmed.
Norayr Ghalumyan, 52, lives in Burbank, California. The others are former Consulate official from Glendale Hakob Hovsepyan, 54; advocate for immigration issues from Glendale Margarita Mkrtchyan, 41; Oganes Nardos from Valencia, 36 and Elvis Madatyan, 47 from Glendale.
According to "Liberty" radio station, Ghalumyan and the other three former Consulate workers were released by a pledge later.
