BERKLEY, Mich. – A New Jersey business filed a civil claim against a local business owner for stealing $4 million worth of platinum.
The lawsuit was filed by Auramet International Company against Gregory Koukoudian.
The complaint alleges in great detail how Koukourian had a business agreement to buy the platinum from Auramet and to have access to a vault containing millions in platinum in the Detroit Brinks Security Building.
The precious metal, worth nearly $1,000 an ounce, was stolen right underneath the noses of security officers.
Auramet claims that Koukoudian substituted completely worthless metal bars for platinum rods, then sold the platinum and kept the cash.
The alleged theft was discovered in January after an audit of the vault’s contents.
The complaint also claims Koukoudian had already confessed to the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Homeland Security, but so far no criminal case has been filed.
Auramet is calling this racketeering, claiming Koukoudian was running his business, C.R. Hill Company of Berkley, as a criminal enterprise. Auramet is asking a judge to shut down his business and pay all the money back.
Koukoudian’s wife, Deborah, is also named in the complaint saying she profited from
Local 4 contacted Koukoudian and he had no comment about the case.