Man stole over $1.7 million from SoCal banks in check fraud scheme https://ktla.com/news/local-news/man-stole-over-1-7-million-from-socal-banks-in-check-fraud-scheme/ A SoCal man was sentenced to prison for stealing over $1.7 million from major banks in a check fraud scheme. Ara Malkhasyan, 52, of Winnetka, was sentenced to 6 years and nine months in prison after pleading guilty in April 2021 to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. Malkhasyan was the “ringleader and mastermind of a check-kiting scheme” that also involved his wife, brother-in-law and other family members, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.