A 58-year-old Bellevue, Washington and Las Vegas, man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Seattle for his role in a scheme to sell stolen goods on Amazon and eBay.
Andrey A. Balun pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport stolen property in interstate commerce.
Balun and his co-defendant, Vitaliy F. Bobak, 53, of Federal Way, Washington, jointly owned MBA Trading LLC, which did business at a Burien, Washington, storefront operating as “We Buy Gold, Silver, and Electronics.” An extensive law enforcement investigation revealed that the storefront knowingly purchased goods that had been stolen from area retailers.
The pair then sold the goods on Amazon or eBay for millions of dollars in profit.
Court records say that Balun co-owned the business since 2018. In 2019, Bobak bought a 50 percent share of the business that once belonged to Balun’s original business partner. Balun trained Bobak on how to operate the business. Balun admits that the business purchased stolen goods from individual sellers, knowing that the goods were stolen.
The business bought primarily over-the-counter medications and health/beauty products. In many instances, the goods still had anti-theft devices attached, and/or stickers saying for sale only at a particular retailer. The men bought the goods far below the retail price and then posted them for sale on two websites they operated on Amazon and eBay. The Amazon store was called “Medikus” and the eBay store was called “abcstore555.” Money from the online stores was traced to the men’s bank accounts. The funds were then used by the men to operate the scheme by paying cash to the “boosters” (people who stole the goods) and payroll to employees who were involved in posting and shipping the goods for sale. The remainder of the proceeds was funneled to the men, who then withdrew money to pay themselves and for various personal expenses. Between 2021 and June of 2023, the operation brought in more than $4.5 million. Balun obtained proceeds of at least $1 million. Investigators traced some of that money to his purchase of a home in Las Vegas.
The plea agreement details three items brought to the We Buy store as stolen goods that were then sold on Amazon and eBay: 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 a “booster.” Bobak used a torch lighter and a drill to remove the security devices on the products.
The scale of the sales was huge and both national and international. An analysis of the sales of the two online stores reveals that between January 1, 2022, and November 28, 2023, there were over 150,000 sales transactions through the abcstore555 eBay and Medikus Amazon stores. When search warrants were served and merchandise seized on December 19, 2023, the conspirators possessed more than 74,000 items of stolen merchandise valued at approximately $2.4 million. After the seizure, the business shut down.
In his plea agreement, Balun agrees 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 by U.S. District Judge Tana Lin on January 14, 2026. Balun is scheduled for sentencing on March 11, 2026. Prosecutors have agreed to recommend that Balun serve no more than 57 months in prison. The recommendation does not limit Judge Lin and can impose any sentence allowed by law.
The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with significant assistance from the Renton Police Department, Seattle Police Department, and the IRS, and aided by investigators from numerous retailers. Assistant United States Attorney Sean H. Waite and Asset Forfeiture Assistant United States Attorney Krista Bush are prosecuting the case.
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