California Trio Sentenced for $142K Bear Suit Insurance Fraud Scheme
Three Residents Sentenced in Unusual Insurance Fraud Scheme
LOS ANGELES – Three California residents have been sentenced for their involvement in an unusual insurance fraud scheme that utilized a bear costume to simulate damage to luxury vehicles.
The investigation, conducted by the California Department of Insurance, revealed an elaborate plan where the group staged incidents to collect nearly $142,000 from insurance companies. Using a person dressed as a bear, they falsely claimed that the animal had broken into vehicles, specifically a 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost and two Mercedes-Benz models.
Alfiya Zuckerman, Ruben Tamrazian, and Vahe Muradkhanyan each entered a no-contest plea to felony insurance fraud. They received sentences of two years of probation along with 180 days in a weekend jail program. Additionally, two of the defendants have been ordered to pay over $107,000 in restitution.
The fraudulent activity stemmed from an incident in January 2024, when the suspects reported that a bear had damaged the interior of their luxury vehicle. To bolster their claims, they submitted video footage of the supposed bear attack. However, a biologist from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife analyzed the footage and confirmed that it depicted a human in a bear suit. Following this revelation, detectives discovered the costume during a search of the suspects’ residence.
Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara commented on the case, stating, “What may have looked unbelievable turned out to be exactly that — and now those responsible are being held accountable. Insurance fraud is a serious crime that drives up costs for consumers, and no scheme is too outrageous for us to investigate.”
The implications of this case highlight ongoing concerns about insurance fraud and its impact on consumers. As incidents of bears entering homes and properties have been increasingly reported throughout California, the novelty of this scheme underscores the lengths to which individuals may go to exploit the system.
Looking ahead, legal proceedings will continue for a fourth individual involved in the scheme, Ararat Chirkinian, whose next court appearance is scheduled for September 2026.
