Alleged securities fraud defendant arrested in Moldova, extradited to Baldwin County

SUBMITTED – Robert Wilters, District Attorney for the 28th Judicial Circuit, Baldwin County, Alabama; and Joseph Borg, Director of the Alabama Securities Commission (ASC) announced that Vahak Dino Awadisian was arrested by the United States Marshals at the Chisinau Moldova International Airport and extradited to the United States based on outstanding warrants in a securities fraud case in Baldwin County. He was placed in the Baldwin County Jail on July 29, where he is currently being held without bond.

Awadisian, originally from Iraq, was indicted by a Baldwin County grand jury in November 2013 for allegedly promoting a “prime bank investment” fraud in which he took investor funds “for trading in a Trading Platform Program.” According to the indictment, he failed to disclose to investors that he had filed for bankruptcy and claimed to have successfully traded billions of dollars, making millions in the process. Awadisian was initially arrested on Feb. 5, 2014 in Los Angeles, California and brought to Alabama to face charges of securities fraud and securities registration violations.

Awadisian was released after his initial arrest upon posting a $150,000 bond with the Baldwin County Circuit Court and tendering his United States Passport to law enforcement. On Aug. 27, 2014 Awadisian failed to appear for a hearing before the Honorable Judge Langford Floyd. The court then issued a warrant for Awadisian’s arrest for failure to appear and ordered that his bond be forfeited. Awadisian will remain in custody pending trial.