Witness pleads guilty in counterfeit case

Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2004 | 9:21 a.m.

A cooperating witness who pleaded guilty to possessing counterfeit securities in connection with a conspiracy to pass $800,000 in counterfeit checks at the MGM Grand was sentenced to 46 months in prison Monday.

Hans Walton was one of four men who acted as runners to cash the checks at the casino, prosecutors said.

According to court documents, two men, Jimmy Leung and Aziz Massomipour, were involved in the conspiracy to cash checks at the MGM that were drawn on a fictitious California bank branch in Pomona, Calif. The plan was for Leung and Massomipour to keep half of the money from the cashed checks, with the other half going to an undercover Metro Police detective, who was playing the role of a casino host on the take.

Leung was found guilty of conspiracy, possessing counterfeit securities, fraudulent use of false identification and bank fraud earlier this year and is scheduled to be sentenced in April. Massomipour is a fugitive.

Walton was also sentenced Monday to three years of supervised release. The other three men who allegedly acted as runners, have also pleaded guilty to possessing counterfeit securities.

Asatour Magzanian was sentenced to six months of home detention and five years of probation last year in connection with the case, while Jaman Khan was sentenced to two years in prison. Henry Davis has not yet been sentenced.