Americans awoke this week to yet another stark reminder of how vulnerable our nation has become to international criminals exploiting the generosity of hardworking taxpayers. In a dramatic dawn raid, federal authorities arrested 14 individuals tied to a sprawling Armenian fraud ring operating right here in Southern California. Their crime? Brazenly stealing more than $30 million in COVID relief funds and Small Business Administration loans—money intended to support struggling American families and businesses.
This wasn’t just petty theft, folks—it was an organized assault on American taxpayers, orchestrated by criminals who saw our nation’s willingness to help one another in a time of need as nothing more than a golden opportunity to enrich themselves. As Acting Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in Los Angeles, John Pasciucco, put it bluntly: “These transnational criminal organizations are exploiting the American people’s goodwill and using it for their personal gain.”
The operation, spearheaded by the Department of Homeland Security and supported by the Small Business Administration and IRS, was swift and forceful. Fox News was exclusively embedded with federal agents as they stormed the homes of suspects, utilizing armored vehicles and loudspeakers to announce their arrival. Among the suspects apprehended is Armenian-born William McGrayan, allegedly the mastermind of the operation. Court documents describe McGrayan as “unhinged,” reportedly boasting of gang ties in Armenia and threatening violence against acquaintances.
Make no mistake about it—this is exactly the kind of criminal element President Trump promised to root out when he vowed to restore law and order to our communities. Under the Biden administration’s watch, fraudsters and transnational criminals exploited lax oversight to steal from American taxpayers. President Trump inherited this mess, and he’s cleaning house. His administration is sending a clear message: the days of open-season fraud are over.
It should alarm every American that these fraudsters were able to create an intricate web of fake businesses, bogus bank accounts, and counterfeit tax documents to scam our government out of tens of millions of dollars. They didn’t just pocket the cash—they spent lavishly on properties, expensive luxuries, and funneled significant amounts overseas to Armenia. This is money that should have helped American business owners keep their doors open, their employees paid, and their families secure.
U.S. Attorney for California’s Central District Bill Essayli didn’t mince words, warning, “If you are taking money from the government that doesn’t belong to you, your door could be the next one that we’re hitting.” This is precisely the tough talk—and more importantly, the tough action—that Americans expect and deserve from their leaders. President Trump’s decisive law-and-order stance and cooperation between federal agencies are finally yielding results, dismantling these criminal networks and restoring accountability.
Yet, this is far from over. Our nation still faces serious threats from international crime rings, cartels, and scammers who see America as easy prey. The Trump administration must continue to bolster our border security, strengthen our immigration enforcement, and reform our financial oversight systems to stop this rampant abuse. It’s about protecting the American worker, the American business owner, and the American taxpayer from those who seek to exploit and take advantage of our generosity.
Americans deserve to know their hard-earned tax dollars are safeguarded, not squandered or stolen by fraud rings or shipped overseas to line the pockets of criminals. Every dollar lost to scammers is a dollar taken from hardworking families, from veterans, from small businesses trying to survive. The president is taking the right steps, but we must remain vigilant and demand continued action.
It’s time we make clear to every fraudster, criminal, and con artist: America is no longer your ATM. Under President Trump’s leadership, our nation will continue to hunt down and prosecute those who try to steal from us. Law and order aren’t just catchphrases—they’re promises being kept.
