Disconnected bracelets and abandoned children: in the USA they are looking for a Russian-speaking couple who stole millions from aid funds in the fight against COVID-19

Richard Ayvazyan and his wife Marietta Terabelian were sentenced to prison for participating in large-scale fraudulent scheme related to financial assistance in connection with COVID-19... They turned off their electronic tracking bracelets and left their California home, abandoning their three teenage children. More details about this were told by the edition CNN.

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They left a note to children 13, 15 and 16 years old.

“Someday we will be together again,” it said. “This is not goodbye, but a short break from each other.”

It was at the end of August. Nearly three months and five months after their June conviction, the couple have still not been found. The FBI is looking.

This did not stop the judge from sentencing 43-year-old Ayvazyan and 37-year-old Terabelian to 17 and 6 years in prison, respectively. Prosecutors said they and other employees implemented a scheme to steal more than $ 20 million from aid funds intended for small businesses during the pandemic.

“Defendants used the COVID-19 crisis to steal millions of dollars in much-needed relief intended for people and businesses suffering the economic fallout from the worst pandemic in a century,” said U.S. Attorney Tracy Wilkison.

Another federal prosecutor said their case was the first in the country to go to trial.

Stolen money fueled a lavish lifestyle

The couple and Ayvazyan's brother, 41-year-old Artur Ayvazyan, were found guilty in June by a court of conspiracy to commit banking fraud, electronic fraud, and money laundering. Richard Ayvazyan and his brother, among other things, were convicted of aggravated identity theft.

According to court documents and evidence presented in court, they used fake or stolen personal information, including the names of deceased people and exchange students who briefly visited the United States many years ago to file fake applications for approximately 150 federal aid loans. with a pandemic.

Federal prosecutors said they provided fraudulent identity documents along with falsified tax and payroll forms to lenders and the Small Business Administration to support fraudulent claims for assistance.

The couple, along with Ayvazyan's brother and five accomplices, used the proceeds to buy mansions in three Southern California cities - Tarzana, Glendale and Palm Desert. The accomplices purchased gold, diamonds, furniture, Harley-Davidson and other luxury items.

When they were convicted, three houses, luxury goods, as well as bank accounts and approximately $ 450 in cash were seized from the scammers.

“When our country was at its most vulnerable, these people were only thinking about lining their pockets,” said Ryan Corner, special agent in charge of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigations, after the ruling. “The sentences handed down reflect the seriousness of these crimes.”

It is unclear whether Richard Ayvazyan was the mastermind of the scheme, but of the eight people convicted so far, he received the longest sentence, 17 years. No one else was sentenced to more than six years in prison. His brother Arthur Ayvazyan received five years.

In sentencing, US District Judge Stephen Wilson called Richard Ayvazyan "a heartless con man who does not abide by the law," as well as a man who "considers fraud to be an achievement."

The couple's three children were present in the courtroom to witness the sentencing of their parents and uncle.

Ayvazyan's lawyer says that's not all

The whereabouts of Richard Ayvazyan and Marietta Terabelian remain unknown. The FBI is offering a $ 20 reward for information leading to their arrest.

Ashvin J. Ram, Ayvazyan's lawyer, said the prosecutor's office painted an exaggerated picture of his client's involvement.

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“The government has repeatedly stated that we are talking about $18 or $20 million,” Ram said. “However, at the hearing, the court found that Richard Ayvazyan was liable only for damages in the amount of $1,5 million. This is far from the government’s theory in the case.”

According to the lawyer, they have not spoken to Ayvazyan since he fled in August. Ram believes that if his client was in court, he would explain his version of the story.

“Unfortunately, Ayvazyan was not present to tell his vision of the situation to the court,” the lawyer stated.

According to him, the couple's family believes that they may have been kidnapped by other accomplices.

“Ayvazyan was accused of conspiring with dozens of people, and only a few were charged. So if he really is the boss, someone might want to silence him,” the lawyer suggested, noting that in addition to the message to their children, the couple’s farewell note also mentioned the threats they face: they say, “they are leaving to avoid danger to the family."

Therefore, Ashwin J. Ram called on the government to investigate.

Terabelian's lawyer Ryan Fraser described the client as "a loving mother and devoted wife who tirelessly supported not only her three children, but also her parents, mother-in-law and sister." In addition, he noted that “Judge Wilson acknowledged this in his judgment and awarded significantly less than one third of the prosecutor’s time limit.”

Fraser declined to answer further questions about his client or the fraudulent credit scheme.

Information about the lawyer of Artur Ayvazyan is not yet available.

The guardians of the children hoped to send them to Armenia.

According to Ram, the couple's three children are in the care of their own grandmothers and a court-appointed guardian.

He said that their guardians recently submitted an emergency application for passports for them to travel to Armenia, where they have relatives.

According to the defender, the guardians hoped to send the children to Armenia in order to avoid the appearance of a circus in the media around the sentencing of their parents, but passports were not issued.

Ram said that he objected to the court sentencing Richard Ayvazyan and Terabelian in absentia. He wanted the hearing to be postponed until they reappeared.

Five more southern Californians, including Arthur Ayvazyan's wife, have pleaded guilty to various charges. Four of them were sentenced to terms ranging from probation to six years in prison.

The verdict on the wife of Artur Ayvazyan is scheduled for December 6.

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