California authorities detained four individuals this week after state investigators found that they had engaged in insurance fraud by alleging that an animal had damaged their cars when, in fact, it was a bear costume.
In relation to the suspected scam, the California Department of Insurance revealed that residents of the Los Angeles region, Ruben Tamrazian, 26, Ararat Chirkinian, 39, Vahe Muradkhanyan, 32, and Alfiya Zuckerman, 39, are all charged with insurance fraud and conspiracy.
According to a news release, the state agency’s inquiry started earlier this year when an insurance firm suspected fraud.
According to the announcement, the suspects notified their insurance company that on January 28, in Lake Arrowhead, an unincorporated hamlet in the San Bernardino Mountains, a bear got inside their 2010 Rolls Royce Ghost and damaged the interior of the car.
“The alleged bear” within the car. According to the news release, the suspects reportedly gave the insurance company camera evidence that allegedly showed “the alleged bear” inside the car.
“Upon further scrutiny of the video, the investigation determined the bear was actually a person in a bear costume,” the department stated.
It was “clearly a human in a bear suit,” according to a state scientist
According to the announcement, detectives discovered two other insurance claims from the suspects with the same date of loss and location, filed with two separate insurance companies.
The suspects allegedly utilized a bear costume to make it appear as though a bear had entered and damaged the two cars in each claim—a 2015 Mercedes G63 AMG and a 2022 Mercedes E350.
According to reports, they also gave the other insurance firms video recordings related to their claims.
In order to demonstrate that the video did not depict a bear, the state agency had a biologist from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife examine three “bear videos.” According to investigators, the biologist concluded that it was “clearly a human in a bear suit.”
After obtaining a search warrant, detectives discovered a costume bear suit while searching the suspects’ residence. According to the announcement, all four suspects were taken into custody by authorities on Wednesday.
The defendants are accused of committing fraud, which cost the insurance firms close to $142,000. According to officials, the state Department of Insurance received assistance in the case from the California Highway Patrol and the Glendale Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office.
The suspects were not listed online Thursday according to San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office detention records. San Bernardino County’s pending court dates were not yet available on the internet.
Whether the suspects had hired lawyers was not immediately known.
