A 58-year-old man linked to a Burien storefront operation that sold stolen merchandise nationwide pleaded guilty Friday in U.S. District Court in Seattle to conspiracy to transport stolen property in interstate commerce, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors said Andrey A. Balun of Bellevue and Las Vegas admitted to operating a large scale trafficking scheme with co defendant Vitaliy F. Bobak, 53, of Federal Way, through MBA Trading LLC, which ran a Burien storefront known as We Buy Gold, Silver, and Electronics. Investigators said the business knowingly purchased stolen goods from individual sellers and resold them on Amazon and eBay for millions of dollars in profit.
As we previously reported, the operation was shut down in December 2023 when law enforcement seized more than 74,000 items of stolen merchandise valued at about $2.4 million, according to court records.
Balun and Bobak co-owned the business, with Balun operating it since 2018 and Bobak buying a 50 percent share in 2019. Prosecutors said Balun trained Bobak on how to run the business and acknowledged that the store purchased stolen goods, primarily over the counter medications and health and beauty products. Many of the items still had anti-theft devices attached or labels restricting them to sale at specific retailers.
According to the plea agreement, the men paid cash to boosters who stole the merchandise, then sold the items through two online storefronts, Medikus on Amazon and abcstore555 on eBay. Proceeds were deposited into the men’s bank accounts and used to pay employees who listed and shipped products, with remaining funds withdrawn for personal expenses.
Between 2021 and June 2023, the operation generated more than $4.5 million in revenue, with Balun obtaining at least $1 million in proceeds. Investigators traced some of that money to Balun’s purchase of a home in Las Vegas.
Court documents describe specific examples of stolen merchandise sold by the business, including a Braun electric shaver shipped to Rhode Island, a Keurig coffee maker shipped to Oregon, and Sonicare and Rogaine products purchased from a booster. Bobak used tools to remove security devices from some of the items, prosecutors said.
An analysis of sales records showed more than 150,000 transactions through the Amazon and eBay stores between January 1, 2022, and Nov. 28, 2023. After search warrants were served and the merchandise seized on Dec. 19, 2023, the Burien business closed.
As part of the plea agreement, Balun agreed to forfeit $1 million to the federal government. The charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. Prosecutors agreed to recommend a sentence of no more than 57 months, though U.S. District Judge Tana Lin is not bound by that recommendation.
Bobak is scheduled for sentencing Jan. 14, 2026, while Balun is scheduled for sentencing on Mar. 11, 2026.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Renton Police Department, Seattle Police Department and the IRS, along with investigators from numerous retailers. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean H. Waite and Asset Forfeiture Assistant U.S. Attorney Krista Bush.
In our neighborhood in Highland Park/White Center, there are many of these types of operations going on constantly. Trucks, trailers and RVs loaded with stolen goods being stored in what they call ‘refrigerators’ waiting to be either sold here or taken somewhere else. We have seen open drug use and sales from these vehicles.
It’s so obvious but we don’t see any repercussions other than they get ticketed, move to another nearby location and set up again. Where lies accountability?
Minimal sentencing, businesses never getting compensated, criminals gaining more criminal techniques in jail, welcome to the Pacific Northwest in 2020 through 2026. Good luck and God speed
Anyone know if they are interested in selling the business?