Three locksmiths have been charged with fraud, structuring and money laundering for their alleged roles in a scheme to overcharge customers of Dependable Locks Inc, a Florida-based firm that manages a national network of locksmiths. Eliyahu Barhanun, 29, of St. Louis, Missouri, was charged along with David Peer, 31, and Moshe Aharoni, 28, both of Clearwater, Florida.
According to prosecutors, consumer complaints filed by Missouri customers "indicate a persistent pattern of fraudulent price quotation and overcharging" by locksmiths working for Dependable Locks, including Barhanun, Peer, and Aharoni. The customers reported that they were quoted a certain price on the phone, and then were charged a significantly higher price by the responding locksmith.
According to a criminal complaint filed in the case, telephone dispatchers for Dependable Locks were instructed by managers to quote a price of $54 for a car lockout, but the locksmiths were told to charge up to $179 after providing services.
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