This story was originally posted to MyNorthwest.com
A second man pleaded guilty Friday to a scheme that sold more than $4.5 million in stolen goods on Amazon or eBay, after his co-conspirator previously pleaded guilty in September.
Andrey A. Balun, 58, of Bellevue, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport stolen property in interstate commerce, the same charge as Vitaliy Bobak, his co-conspirator, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced.
Balun and Bobak owned and operated MBA Trading LLC, which conducted business out of a Burien storefront under the name “We Buy Gold, Silver, and Electronics.”
Bellevue man pleaded guilty to operating stolen goods scheme
Following an extensive law enforcement investigation, authorities discovered that the store knowingly purchased stolen goods from local retailers, and the co-conspirators sold the items on Amazon or eBay for millions of dollars in profit.
Balun co-owned the business since 2018, with Bobak buying a 50% share of the business in 2019. The 50% share once belonged to the original business partner of Balun.
Balun trained Bobak on how to operate the business. Balun admitted the business knowingly purchased stolen goods from individual sellers.
The business would primarily purchase over-the-counter medications and health and beauty products. The DOJ noted in several instances, the products would have anti-theft devices attached or stickers that stated they were only for sale at a particular retailer.
The goods were purchased well below retail prices, and then would be posted for sale on two websites they operated on Amazon and eBay.
The Amazon store operated under the name “Medikus,” and the eBay store was named “abcstore555.”
Funds from both of the online stores were traced back to the co-conspirators’ bank accounts.
The profits were then used to operate the scheme by paying cash to the people who stole the goods, and as payroll to employees who were posting and shipping the stolen products.
The remainder of the proceeds was funneled to the co-conspirators, who withdrew the money to pay themselves for various personal expenses.
Stolen goods scheme reels in $4.5M in funds
Between 2021 and June 2023, the scheme brought in more than $4.5 million, with Balun obtaining proceeds of at least $1 million. Investigators tracked some of the money back to a home Balun purchased in Las Vegas.
Three items were detailed in the plea agreement that were brought to the We Buy store as stolen goods, and later sold on Amazon and eBay. The products included a Braun electric shaver, sold and shipped to Rhode Island, a Keurig coffee maker, sold and shipped to Oregon, and Sonicare and Rogaine products purchased from an individual seller.
The DOJ noted that Bobak would use a torch lighter and drill to remove the security devices from the products.
Between January 1, 2022, and November 28, 2023, more than 150,000 transactions were made through the abcstore555 eBay account and the Medikus Amazon store.
Search warrants were served, and merchandise was seized on December 19, 2023. More than 74,000 items of stolen merchandise were seized, valued at approximately $2.4 million.
After the seizure, the business was shut down. In the plea agreement, Balun agreed to forfeit $1 million to the government as part of the resolution of his case.
Conspiracy to transport stolen property is punishable by up to five years in prison.
Bobak is scheduled for sentencing on January 14, 2026, and Balun is scheduled for sentencing on March 11, 2026.
Prosecutors have agreed to recommend that Balun serve no more than 57 months in prison. U.S. District Judge Tana Lin is not limited by the recommendation and can impose any sentence allowed by law.
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