LAKE ARROWHEAD, CA — A California Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist outed four suspected insurance fraudsters who used a video of a bear trashing high-value automobiles to commit insurance fraud, the California Department of Insurance said.
The four suspects, all residents of Los Angeles County, were arrested and charged Wednesday with insurance fraud and conspiracy, according to a department statement.
Red flags were raised in January when an insurance claim was made that a bear had trashed the Rolls Royce, along with a provided video. Photos show the scratched-up interiors of that vehicle.
Further investigation revealed a conspiracy to commit insurance fraud, with false claims filed not only for the 2010 Rolls Royce Ghost, but also a 2015 Mercedes G63 AMG and a 2022 Mercedes E350.
Though investigators suspected it was a person who had done the damage, they needeed to prove their case that a human, not a bear, committed the destructive acts.
VIDEO: https://youtu.be/fAUWdJ73pXU?si=eZl1xzdj_CpXsYpK
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Insurance investigators enlisted the expertise of a biologist from the state Department of Fish and Wildlife to review the footage.
The department said the scientist reviewed the three videos and "opined it was clearly a human in a bear suit."
Then, the department put Operation Bear Claw in motion.
Detectives executed a search warrant in the suspects' home and found a bear costume, the department said. Pictures show the sharp "meat shredding" claws added to the costume. The California Department of Insurance said in a release that insurance companies were defrauded of $141,839 as part of the crimes.
Ruben Tamrazian, 26, Ararat Chirkinian, 39, and Vahe Muradkhanyan, 32, all of Glendale, and Alfiya Zuckerman, 39, of Valley Village were charged following the investigation.
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