Kenneth Glad
An unusual insurance claim involving damage to a luxury car has ended in convictions in California. What was initially reported as an animal attack turned out to be something far more deliberate.
The turning point in the case came with the scale of the losses. According to the California Department of Insurance, insurers were targeted for more than $141,000, a figure that drew heightened attention during the inquiry.
People reported that three defendants — Alfiya Zuckerman, Ruben Tamrazian and Vahe Muradkhanyan — chose not to contest felony fraud charges. A court later imposed 180-day jail sentences along with two years of supervised probation.
Restitution orders added further weight. Zuckerman was ordered to repay $55,360, Tamrazian $52,268, while the final amount linked to Muradkhanyan is still pending.
How it unraveled
What initially supported the claim was video footage that appeared to show a bear inside a Rolls-Royce Ghost, moving through the interior and leaving visible damage.
The filing might have stood if not for inconsistencies that caught investigators’ attention.
A closer review changed everything. Officials said, “Upon further scrutiny of the video, the investigation determined the bear was actually a person in a bear costume,” a finding cited by People from a state insurance statement.
That conclusion was reinforced by wildlife specialists asked to assess the footage.
The discovery of the costume during a search added a critical piece of evidence. In fraud investigations, unusual claims are often cross-checked against expert analysis and physical proof, a process that can quickly expose staged incidents when details fail to align.
A broader pattern
The Rolls-Royce incident was not an isolated filing. As investigators examined records more closely, they identified other submissions tied to the same date and location.
Those filings involved a Mercedes G63 AMG and a Mercedes E350. Officials noted a repeated approach, stating: “Each of those claims involved two different vehicles… and the suspects again appeared to use a bear costume,” according to People.
Such overlaps — identical timing, location and method — are a common trigger for deeper review across insurers, often revealing coordinated activity rather than isolated events. In this case, that pattern helped authorities connect multiple filings into a single scheme.
A fourth defendant, Ararat Chirkinian, is due back in court in September 2026 as proceedings continue.
Sources: People, California Department of Insurance
