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Former Russian mobster sentenced for $9M exotic car leasing fraud scheme in Atlanta

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Published  February 9, 2024 9:36pm EST
Atlanta
FOX 5 Atlanta

Mani Chulpayev, the mastermind behind a luxury car leasing scheme that spanned Atlanta and Miami from 2009 to 2016, has been sentenced to prison and ordered to pay over $4.6 million in restitution. The sentencing comes as a result of his arrest in October 2020, hiding in Ukraine under a fake identity while working as a movie producer. The case marks the conclusion of "Operation Riding Dirty," a collaborative effort by multiple agencies targeting a complex network of drug traffickers, money launderers, and corrupt officials.

U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan remarked, "Chulpayev ran a sophisticated scheme that inflicted vast losses on banks and the individuals he recruited to assist his fraudulent scheme." Chulpayev utilized a fleet of exotic cars obtained through his fraud to enable drug traffickers to operate, evade detection, and launder their illicit proceeds.

According to court documents, Chulpayev, born in the Soviet Union, moved to the United States at the age of 12. By age 20, he was already involved in organized crime in New York, engaging in extortion, arson, kidnapping, human trafficking, and various frauds. After serving prison time for federal convictions, he moved to Atlanta, where he operated a chop shop and later started a car leasing business catering to drug traffickers.

Chulpayev's modus operandi involved recruiting straw purchasers to buy luxury cars in their names, which were then leased to others, including drug traffickers and high-profile clients. These straw purchasers were left responsible for loan payments, leading to defaults and substantial losses for banks. Chulpayev orchestrated the purchase of over 115 cars, including Bentleys, Aston Martins, Maseratis, Lamborghinis, Ferraris, and Porsches, worth more than $9 million.

One of Chulpayev's clients, Kevin Johnson, leader of a drug trafficking operation in Atlanta, leased several flashy cars for his operation. Johnson and his associates were convicted of federal drug trafficking charges, leading to a spinoff investigation that resulted in the conviction of 17 U.S. Postal Service employees for collecting bribes to deliver drug packages.

Chulpayev also cultivated relationships with corrupt law enforcement agents, using them to repossess cars, arrest competitors, and avoid arrest himself. Detective Robert Bentivegna, a Task Force Officer with the U.S. Secret Service, received bribes from Chulpayev in the form of airline tickets, legal fees, and luxury cars for his children. Bentivegna was convicted of federal computer access crimes and sentenced to prison.

Chulpayev was also a suspect in the murder of rapper Lil' Phat, who was killed in one of his leased cars in 2012. It was believed that Chulpayev put out the hit on the rapper, whose real name was Melvin Vernell III. The murder charges were dropped in 2015 and an Alabama gang member is doing life for gunning down Lil' Phat at Northside Hospital. 

Mani Chulpayev, also known as "Mani Chilpayen" and "Immanuel Cohen," has been sentenced to ten years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution of $4,663,978.73. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank and mail fraud on July 31, 2023.

The following defendants were previously convicted as part of Operation Riding Dirty:

  • Lyle Stephen Livesay, 36, of Colbert, was sentenced on July 15, 2021, to eight years, one month in prison (with credit for four years served on a prior conviction), followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution of $2,644,722.15, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit bank and mail fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
  • Paul Alexander Carruth, 39, of Boynton Beach, Florida, was sentenced on November 28, 2018, to five years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution of $93,498.36, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, mail fraud, and money laundering.
  • Kimberly Ann Reiss, 38, of Miami Beach, Florida, was sentenced on July 15, 2021, to five years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution of $2,674,563.05, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit bank and mail fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
  • Kevin Michael Johnson, 48, of Lilburn, was sentenced on June 16, 2016, to six years, six months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances.
  • Walter Ray Hamilton, 42, of Stone Mountain, was sentenced on November 2, 2016, to six years, three months in prison, followed by six years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances and maintaining a place for distributing drugs within 1,000 feet of a school.
  • James Robert Jones, also known as "Sean Jones," 50, of Dallas, was sentenced on November 2, 2016, to five years, ten months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances.
  • Jeorge Collier, 38, of Lithonia, was sentenced on December 21, 2017, to five years, one month in prison, followed by seven years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
  • Eric Swiney, 51, of Forest Park, was sentenced on May 10, 2016, to five years, ten months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances.
  • Robert Pasquale Bentivegna, 73, of Woodstock, was sentenced on June 30, 2015, to two months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a fine of $1,500, after pleading guilty to unauthorized use of a computer.

Additionally, from Feb. 13, 2018, to March 30, 2023, 17 U.S. Postal Service employees and one non-postal employee were convicted in four separate indictments and sentenced to a range of three to nine years of prison for bribery, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, attempt to distribute controlled substances, and unlawfully using the mail to distribute controlled substances.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Postal Inspection Service, with assistance from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Garrett L. Bradford prosecuted the case as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation.