Topline: A bizarre Southern California insurance fraud case ended in jail sentences after authorities said defendants used a bear costume and meat claws to stage fake attacks on luxury cars.
Published: May 5, 2026 3:30 pm ET
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From left: Ararat Chirkinian, Alfiya Zuckerman, and Ruben Tamrazian (via CA Dept. of Insurance)
LOS ANGELES, CA — A bizarre Southern California insurance fraud case ended in jail sentences after authorities said a woman and two men used a bear costume and meat claws to fake vehicle damage and collect insurance money.
Investigators said the scheme, dubbed Operation Bear Claw, targeted a Rolls-Royce Ghost and two Mercedes-Benz vehicles with staged attacks meant to look like a bear had gotten inside the cars and torn up their interiors.
The California Department of Insurance said the case began in 2024 when the group claimed a bear had entered a 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost in Lake Arrowhead and scratched the inside of the vehicle. Authorities said the defendants even submitted surveillance video to back up the claim, but an insurance investigator reviewing the footage noticed that the animal’s movements looked more human than ursine.
Authorities say this bear suit and set of claws were used to fake animal damage to vehicles in an insurance fraud scheme in California, according to the California Department of Insurance.
According to the Los Angeles Times, detectives brought in a California Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist, who agreed the video showed a person in a bear suit, not an actual bear. Investigators later found two more insurance claims involving a 2015 Mercedes G63 AMG and a 2022 Mercedes E350. Authorities said all three claims listed the same date of loss, the same location, and very similar videos.
Officials said Bristol West paid $52,268 to the group and another $34,000 to satisfy a loan on one of the vehicles, while Progressive paid $55,920 on another claim. A third claim filed to State Farm was denied after review. Investigators said the fraudulent claims totaled $141,839 in losses to insurers.
Authorities executed search and arrest warrants in November 2024 and said they found a head-to-claw bear costume and meat shredders allegedly used in the scheme. Alfiya Zuckerman, 39, of Valley Village, and Glendale residents Ruben Tamrazian, 26, Vahe Muradkhanyan, 32, and Ararat Chirkinian, 39, were charged with multiple felonies including aggravated white-collar crime, presenting a false insurance claim, and destroying insured property.
Zuckerman, Tamrazian, and Muradkhanyan later pleaded no contest to felony insurance fraud and were sentenced to 180 days in jail and supervised probation.
Court records show all three were allowed to serve their time through a weekend jail program. Zuckerman was ordered to pay $55,360 in restitution, Tamrazian was ordered to pay $52,268, and a restitution amount had not yet been determined for Muradkhanyan.
Chirkinian is scheduled to return to court in September for a preliminary hearing.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Insurance Scam Using Bear Costume and Meat Claws Ends in Jail Time
A bizarre Southern California insurance fraud case ended in jail sentences after authorities said defendants used a bear costume and meat claws to stage fake attacks on luxury cars.
By Jacob Charles
Published: May 5, 2026 3:30 pm ET
From left: Ararat Chirkinian, Alfiya Zuckerman, and Ruben Tamrazian (via CA Dept. of Insurance)
LOS ANGELES, CA — A bizarre Southern California insurance fraud case ended in jail sentences after authorities said a woman and two men used a bear costume and meat claws to fake vehicle damage and collect insurance money.
Investigators said the scheme, dubbed Operation Bear Claw, targeted a Rolls-Royce Ghost and two Mercedes-Benz vehicles with staged attacks meant to look like a bear had gotten inside the cars and torn up their interiors.
The California Department of Insurance said the case began in 2024 when the group claimed a bear had entered a 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost in Lake Arrowhead and scratched the inside of the vehicle. Authorities said the defendants even submitted surveillance video to back up the claim, but an insurance investigator reviewing the footage noticed that the animal’s movements looked more human than ursine.
Authorities say this bear suit and set of claws were used to fake animal damage to vehicles in an insurance fraud scheme in California, according to the California Department of Insurance.
According to the Los Angeles Times, detectives brought in a California Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist, who agreed the video showed a person in a bear suit, not an actual bear. Investigators later found two more insurance claims involving a 2015 Mercedes G63 AMG and a 2022 Mercedes E350. Authorities said all three claims listed the same date of loss, the same location, and very similar videos.
Officials said Bristol West paid $52,268 to the group and another $34,000 to satisfy a loan on one of the vehicles, while Progressive paid $55,920 on another claim. A third claim filed to State Farm was denied after review. Investigators said the fraudulent claims totaled $141,839 in losses to insurers.
Authorities executed search and arrest warrants in November 2024 and said they found a head-to-claw bear costume and meat shredders allegedly used in the scheme. Alfiya Zuckerman, 39, of Valley Village, and Glendale residents Ruben Tamrazian, 26, Vahe Muradkhanyan, 32, and Ararat Chirkinian, 39, were charged with multiple felonies including aggravated white-collar crime, presenting a false insurance claim, and destroying insured property.
Zuckerman, Tamrazian, and Muradkhanyan later pleaded no contest to felony insurance fraud and were sentenced to 180 days in jail and supervised probation.
Court records show all three were allowed to serve their time through a weekend jail program. Zuckerman was ordered to pay $55,360 in restitution, Tamrazian was ordered to pay $52,268, and a restitution amount had not yet been determined for Muradkhanyan.
Chirkinian is scheduled to return to court in September for a preliminary hearing.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
Must Read
Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Insurance Scam Using Bear Costume and Meat Claws Ends in Jail Time
A bizarre Southern California insurance fraud case ended in jail sentences after authorities said defendants used a bear costume and meat claws to stage fake attacks on luxury cars.
By Jacob Charles
Published: May 5, 2026 3:30 pm ET
From left: Ararat Chirkinian, Alfiya Zuckerman, and Ruben Tamrazian (via CA Dept. of Insurance)
LOS ANGELES, CA — A bizarre Southern California insurance fraud case ended in jail sentences after authorities said a woman and two men used a bear costume and meat claws to fake vehicle damage and collect insurance money.
Investigators said the scheme, dubbed Operation Bear Claw, targeted a Rolls-Royce Ghost and two Mercedes-Benz vehicles with staged attacks meant to look like a bear had gotten inside the cars and torn up their interiors.
The California Department of Insurance said the case began in 2024 when the group claimed a bear had entered a 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost in Lake Arrowhead and scratched the inside of the vehicle. Authorities said the defendants even submitted surveillance video to back up the claim, but an insurance investigator reviewing the footage noticed that the animal’s movements looked more human than ursine.
Authorities say this bear suit and set of claws were used to fake animal damage to vehicles in an insurance fraud scheme in California, according to the California Department of Insurance.
According to the Los Angeles Times, detectives brought in a California Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist, who agreed the video showed a person in a bear suit, not an actual bear. Investigators later found two more insurance claims involving a 2015 Mercedes G63 AMG and a 2022 Mercedes E350. Authorities said all three claims listed the same date of loss, the same location, and very similar videos.
Officials said Bristol West paid $52,268 to the group and another $34,000 to satisfy a loan on one of the vehicles, while Progressive paid $55,920 on another claim. A third claim filed to State Farm was denied after review. Investigators said the fraudulent claims totaled $141,839 in losses to insurers.
Authorities executed search and arrest warrants in November 2024 and said they found a head-to-claw bear costume and meat shredders allegedly used in the scheme. Alfiya Zuckerman, 39, of Valley Village, and Glendale residents Ruben Tamrazian, 26, Vahe Muradkhanyan, 32, and Ararat Chirkinian, 39, were charged with multiple felonies including aggravated white-collar crime, presenting a false insurance claim, and destroying insured property.
Zuckerman, Tamrazian, and Muradkhanyan later pleaded no contest to felony insurance fraud and were sentenced to 180 days in jail and supervised probation.
Court records show all three were allowed to serve their time through a weekend jail program. Zuckerman was ordered to pay $55,360 in restitution, Tamrazian was ordered to pay $52,268, and a restitution amount had not yet been determined for Muradkhanyan.
Chirkinian is scheduled to return to court in September for a preliminary hearing.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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