Feds Seize More Than 74,000 Stolen Items in Amazon, eBay Trafficking Scheme — a Bellevue and Las Vegas man has pleaded guilty after investigators uncovered a large resale operation that moved stolen retail merchandise through online stores.
A 58-year-old man with ties to Bellevue, Washington and Las Vegas pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Seattle for his role in an interstate scheme to traffic stolen property. The defendant, Andrey A. Balun, admitted to conspiracy to transport stolen property after investigators traced large-scale purchases and online sales back to a storefront and associated web stores. His co-defendant, Vitaliy F. Bobak, 53, of Federal Way, Washington, was also a principal in the enterprise.
The operation ran out of a Burien, Washington storefront under the business name MBA Trading LLC, which did business as “We Buy Gold, Silver, and Electronics.” Court records show the storefront knowingly bought goods taken from area retailers and then funneled that merchandise into online marketplaces. The pair built a resale pipeline that moved items from street-level theft to national and international buyers.
Investigators found the storefront bought many health and beauty items, including over-the-counter medications, often with anti-theft devices still attached or retailer-only stickers in place. The defendants posted the goods for sale on two online stores they ran, the Amazon store called “Medikus” and the eBay store called “abcstore555.” Funds from those online sales were traced to bank accounts controlled by the defendants and then used to sustain the criminal network.
Proceeds paid both the “boosters” who stole the goods and employees who listed and shipped merchandise, while the remaining funds were pulled out by the owners for personal use. Between 2021 and June 2023 the operation took in more than $4.5 million, and Balun obtained proceeds of at least $1 million. Investigators even traced some of those funds to Balun’s purchase of a home in Las Vegas.
The scope of transactions was significant: an analysis showed over 150,000 sales transactions across the abcstore555 eBay and Medikus Amazon stores between January 1, 2022 and November 28, 2023. When search warrants were executed and merchandise seized on December 19, 2023, authorities recovered more than 74,000 items of stolen merchandise with an approximate wholesale value of $2.4 million. The business closed following the seizure.
The plea agreement cites specific instances where stolen items were taken to the storefront and later sold online, including a Braun electric shaver that was shipped to Rhode Island and a Keurig coffee maker shipped to Oregon. Investigators also identified Sonicare and Rogaine products that originated with a known “booster.” Court documents note Bobak used a torch lighter and a drill to remove security devices from products prior to resale.
As part of the resolution, Balun agreed to forfeit $1 million to the government. Conspiracy to transport stolen property carries a maximum statutory penalty of up to five years in prison. Bobak is set for sentencing on January 14, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Tana Lin, and Balun’s sentencing is scheduled for March 11, 2026. Prosecutors have agreed to recommend that Balun serve no more than 57 months, though the judge may impose any lawful sentence.
The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations with major assistance from the Renton Police Department, Seattle Police Department, and the IRS, along with investigators from multiple retailers. Assistant United States Attorney Sean H. Waite and Asset Forfeiture Assistant United States Attorney Krista Bush are handling the prosecution. The case illustrates how local theft networks can feed sophisticated online resale operations and draw federal enforcement attention.
