Ruben Tamrazian, 26, of Glendale, Ararat Chirkinian, 39, of Glendale, Vahe Muradkhanyan, 32, of Glendale, and Alfiya Zuckerman, 39, of Valley Village, were charged with insurance fraud and conspiracy, according to the California Department of Insurance.
The investigation started after an insurance company sent the state department a video showing a bear supposedly attacking the inside of a 2010 Rolls Royce Ghost.
As the investigation continued, detectives discovered two more insurance claims filed with two different companies featuring video of the same “bear.”
The claims were for two different vehicles—a 2015 Mercedes G63 AMG, and a 2022 Mercedes E350.
The suspects allegedly claimed the damage to those cars also happened on Jan. 28 at the same location and in the same manner, according to the insurance department.
Insurance investigators sought a second opinion about the bear in the videos and reached out to a biologist at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The wildlife expert also concluded it was “clearly a human in a bear suit,” according to the insurance department.
Investigators were able to get a search warrant and allegedly found the bear costume inside a suspect’s home, along with metal claws. The operation was dubbed “Operation Bear Claw.”
The insurance companies were defrauded of nearly $142,000 after paying the three claims, according to the insurance department.
Glendale police and the California Highway Patrol assisted in the investigation. The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case.
