Three sentenced for fraud after using a bear costume to stage damage to vehicles

Three people received sentences of jail time for an insurance fraud scheme that alleged a bear had damaged luxury vehicles. Only there was no bear, just a person wearing a bear suit and wielding claw-style utensils.

California authorities say Alfiya Zuckerman, 39, Ruben Tamrazian, 26, and Vahe Muradkhanyan, 32, were sentenced for their roles in a scheme that netted more than $140,000 in insurance payouts for damage to luxury vehicles.

Video footage shows someone wearing the bear suit staged attacks on the cars, which were then claimed against insurance. The vehicles involved included a 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost, a 2015 Mercedes G63 AMG and a 2022 Mercedes E350.

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All three individuals pleaded no contest to felony insurance fraud. They were sentenced to serve 180 days in jail on weekends, pay more than $100,000 in restitution and serve two years of probation.

A fourth individual, 39-year-old Ararat Chirkinian, is expected in court in September of 2026.