LOS ANGELES — LAPD reported the filing of 133 criminal charges against 12 people for running a regional mortgage fraud and climate scheme that spanned the entire state. In terms of overall dollar value, the scheme lost over $15 million.
The grand jurors from Los Angeles County alleged that Tamara Dadyan, Richard Ayvazyan, Grigor Tian, Andranik Petrosyan, Arshak Bartoumian Lilit, Arthmali Seberani, and Vanessa Bell were all part of a criminal conspiracy, and also for grand theft, false personation of a Social Security number, and money laundering. Eleven out of the twelve individuals were taken into custody on April 29, 2011. Eleven of the twelve individuals appeared in court on their own behalf on May 5, 2021, and both of them pled not guilty.
During the next six years (2014-2020), defendants used the stolen identity of victims to secure mortgages and renewable energy loans. The names belonged to individual people, some of whom were incarcerated, had learning disorders, or dead. Defendants took possession of these identities and mixed and matched synthetic identities with true identities.
E-mail addresses, offshore firms, and bank accounts were used in the building of synthetic identities in this case. At that point, the payroll accounts, financial records, and personal bank statements were changed to support the premise that these people were high-income taxpayers. They also fabricated the fingerprints, addresses, names, and identifying papers of the loan applicants, as well as personal identification and personal financial documents, and county records. They used this phony scheme to obtain millions of dollars in mortgage and environmental loans, which they then wired to the defendant’s bank accounts.
Defendants used Ygrene Energy Fund and Renew Funding as part of their scheme. Other private businesses have offered to fund energy-efficient home renovations for those that had license agreements. Furthermore, in addition to obtaining home loans, the defendants have used the assumed names to secure mortgages from traditional banks and hard-money investors. Successfully for several years, they obtained loans that added up to $15 million in debt. To escape liability, the suspects resorted to forgery, falsification of legal records, or filing for bankruptcy.
Charges were raised against all defendants, warrants were issued for their arrest. Anyone with knowledge is encouraged to call Detective Lyle Barnes, if possible, at 213-486-79; otherwise, please email him at 27186@lapcrimereports.losangelawillgangs.net.org or make a direct report.
