FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., May 7 (UPI) -- An Armenian immigrant has been charged in Florida with grand theft for allegedly conning someone out of more than $1,000, officials said.
David Vyner, who allegedly has posed as doctor, lawyer and rabbi, is now facing charges for impersonating a foreign diplomat and charging a man $1,050 to renew a Russian passport, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported Monday.
Vyner was arrested April 30 and charged with grand theft for the alleged con, court documents show.
The victim in that case, a man with dual U.S.-Russian citizenship, said he went to Vyner, who was running a business that offered help obtaining Russian passports and acquire Russian citizenship for children born in the United States, last month wanting to renew his Russian passport.
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The victim gave Vyner the documents he was told were needed to complete the process and $1,050 as payment, only to return home, do an Internet search and found out about Vyner's criminal history, court records show.
When the man returned to Vyner's office and demanded the return of his documents and money, Vyner would not comply, said police detective John Calabro.
Anyone wanting to renew a Russian passport must do it in person at a consulate and it only costs $30, court records show.
Vyner's career of impersonating professionals allegedly began when he immigrated to Canada from Armenia in 1998 and posed as a lawyer representing Russian refugees in immigration proceedings. He moved to Florida in 2001.
At the time of his arrest he was on probation for earlier convictions and is wanted in Washington, D.C., and Canada, the newspaper said.
