3 VALLEY-AREA RESIDENTS ARRESTED IN CREDIT CARD SCHEME.

Byline: Peter Hartlaub Daily News Staff Writer

Three San Fernando Valley residents and five others were arrested Tuesday on suspicion of helping to run a credit card scam that cost California banks as much as $15 million, officials said.

Secret Service agents were searching for six others, including a man whom they accuse of directing the ``credit card bust-out scheme,'' where bad checks are written to boost credit card limits.

During the short period of time before the checks bounced, officials say the defendants would go on a spending spree, buying thousands of dollars worth of merchandise, including large quantities of gold coins.

U.S. Secret Service agents started their investigation, dubbed Operation Gold Rush, more than two years ago.

Ayman Maslamani, 32, of Sylmar, Anny Yacoubian, 32, of Glendale, Samir Sarkis, 32, of Burbank and five others were arrested across the state by Secret Service agents, with help from police in Burbank, Glendale and elsewhere.

Attorneys for the defendants could not be reached for comment.

Authorities were looking for Adel Dardoon, 41, who they say was captured on surveillance tape bringing ``customers'' to make large purchases at a Van Nuys coin shop called Continental Coin.

``Individuals who engage in this type of bank fraud hurt consumers, bank customers, merchants and many others,'' U.S. Attorney Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement.

Bank fraud can be punishable by up to 30 years in prison.

Frank O'Donnell, the special agent in charge of the Secret Service's Los Angeles Field Office, called the scheme a ``run-of-the-mill'' bank fraud scheme.

``The tragedy is that bank fraud like this costs consumers untold millions of dollars per year.''

According to the court affidavit, Maslamani, Yacoubian and Sarkis were card holders who were recruited by scheme organizers. Organizers would send checks to their credit card agencies, then instruct them to go shopping.

Maslamani, for example, is accused of posting 26 booster checks worth $134,860 to his credit card accounts, and making $123,074 in purchases.

Federal officials said the defendants made large purchases of gold coins from several Southern California coin shops, including the one in Van Nuys, because the coins are easy to liquidate.