Call the fuzz: 4 charged in alleged ‘human in a bear suit’ insurance scam

The lengths immoderate radical volition spell for an security payout is, sometimes, bear-ly believable.

Four California men person been arrested successful transportation with an insurance scam aft they allegedly dressed up successful a bear costume and damaged respective high-end cars.

Ruben Tamrazian, 26, Ararat Chirkinian, 39, Vahe Muradkhanyan, 32, and Alfiya Zuckerman, 39, were charged with security fraud and conspiracy for allegedly defrauding US$141,839 (nearly C$200,000) from security companies, the California Department of Insurance said connected Wednesday.

Officials accidental the 4 men tried to claim that a carnivore entered and damaged a 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost successful January of this year, portion it was parked astatine Lake Arrowhead successful the San Bernardino Mountains.

The radical shared video with an security institution that they said showed the alleged carnivore breaking into the car, which was a large mistake and yet got them successful occupation with the fuzz.

“Upon further scrutiny of the video, the probe determined the carnivore was actually a idiosyncratic successful a carnivore costume,” the section said successful a statement.

The radical allegedly tried to propulsion the fur implicit 2 abstracted insurers’ eyes connected different 2 claims, it said — a 2015 Mercedes G63 AMG and a 2022 Mercedes E350 — again, with idiosyncratic successful a carnivore suit.

Photos provided by the security section amusement what appeared to beryllium “scratches” connected the seats and doors.

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The section had a biologist from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife reappraisal the 3 videos, who concluded it was “clearly a quality successful a carnivore suit,” the security section said.

After executing a hunt warrant, detectives recovered the carnivore costume successful the suspects’ home, implicit with a carnivore head, a afloat fur suit, paws and metallic manus tools designed to simulate claws.

Uncostumed bears are known to beryllium a spot of a nuisance successful California, arsenic humans encroach into their territory crossed the state. They are often seen going for swims successful backyard pools and blistery tubs and person been known to interruption into refrigerators and freezers.