Bulgarian Court OKs Fraudster's Deportation to USA

The Varna Appellate Court has allowed the deportation of Galin Filev, an alleged Bulgarian fraudster wanted in the USA.

On Friday, the Varna Appellate Court confirmed a ruling of the Dobrich District Court for the extradition of Filev, 43, a native of the Black Sea town of Kavarna, to the United States so that he can face trial on fraud and molestation charges.

The prosecution in the US state of Illinois has requested that the Bulgarian authorities turn Filev over to them so that he can be tried on six counts of bank fraud and molesting an underage person, the press service of the Varna Appellate Court reported.

The United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois has issued two arrest warrants for Galin Filev dated April 2006 and January 2011.

However, Filev could be detained by the Bulgarian police only in November 2012 based on a newly signed extradition treaty between Bulgaria and the USA; he was placed in custody for 60 days.

US banks are reported to have granted Filev four mortgage loans for two properties in the Chicago area that were never inhabited by the Bulgarian.

Filev also got two other bank loans for the development of a small enterprise but according to the investigators he filed fake data about the annual revenues of his alleged firm.

Thus, the Bulgarian man is estimated to have incurred losses worth USD 950 000 to the banks in question, which could get him up to 30 years in jail under State of Illinois law.

In addition to bank fraud, the US authorities are investigating Filev for a kidnapping and molestation of an underage person in September 2005.

The ruling of the Varna Appellate Court on Galin Filev's extradition to the USA is final and cannot be appealed.