A Sherman Oaks man was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison Monday for his role in a bank fraud scheme and for attempting to have a witness in the case killed, authorities said.
Pavel Valkovich, 28, admitted offering to pay $10,000 to a hit man to do a drive-by shooting on a witness who was prepared to testify against Valkovich in the fraud case, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.
The fraud case involved Valkovich and others using stolen personal identifying information to transfer funds from peoples’ bank accounts to PayPal accounts where the defendants could access the funds, according to prosecutors.
Valkovich was sentenced to three years on the fraud conviction and 15 more for solicitation of murder. The sentences are to be served consecutively.
“You’re your own worst enemy,” Judge Percy Anderson told the defendant, according to a release from the U.S. attorney’s office.
— Scott Glover