Operation Bear Claw suspects sentenced after dressing as bears for profit
Detectives discovered that a supposed bear attack on a Rolls-Royce was staged
Three individuals have been sentenced to jail following a bizarre insurance fraud investigation dubbed "Operation Bear Claw," which involved dressing in a bear costume to stage fake vehicle attacks.
On Thursday, Alfiya Zuckerman, 39, Ruben Tamrazian, 26, and Vahe Muradkhanyan, 32, each received 180 days in jail and two years of supervised probation.
The group pleaded no contest to felony insurance fraud after claiming a bear had entered their 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost in Lake Arrowhead, California, and shredded the interior.
The California Department of Insurance (CDI) launched an investigation after a suspicious claim was flagged by an insurer.
Detectives, supported by a biologist from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, reviewed video footage and concluded the "bear" was clearly a person in a costume.
A search warrant later recovered the suit at the suspects’ home. The scheme extended beyond the Rolls-Royce, with two additional fraudulent claims involving a 2015 Mercedes G63 AMG and a 2022 Mercedes E350.
The total cost to insurance providers reached £114,000. Zuckerman has been ordered to pay £44,500 in restitution, while Tamrazian must pay £42,000. A fourth suspect, Ararat Chirkinian, 39, is scheduled for a preliminary hearing in September 2026.
This unusual case was prosecuted by the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office following the suspects' initial arrests in November 2024.
While the trio begins their custodial sentences, the CDI continues to warn the public that such elaborate attempts to defraud providers will be met with rigorous criminal investigation.