LOS ANGELES
Federal authorities arrested 13 alleged members and associates of rival Armenian crime syndicates in California and Florida on charges including attempted murder, kidnapping, firearms violations, and thefts worth over $83 million, officials stated.
The arrests stem from a series of violent and organized crimes linked to a power struggle in Los Angeles’s San Fernando Valley.
Ara Artuni, 41, of Porter Ranch, is accused of ordering the attempted murder of rival Robert Amiryan, 46, of Hollywood, who is separately charged with kidnapping. The two are identified as avtoritet—a Russian term for high-ranking leaders—within Armenian Organized Crime, a syndicate tied to the Russian mafia, according to authorities.
According to federal complaints, the conflict between Artuni and Amiryan escalated in 2023, with attempted hits and the alleged torture of an associate. Beyond violence, Artuni’s group allegedly ran major fraud operations, including:
- Cargo theft from Amazon shipments, stealing over $83 million in goods
- A credit card bust-out scheme using fake businesses to defraud banks
- Wire and bank fraud
Authorities also seized $100,000 in cash, 14 firearms, and three armored vehicles during the arrests. Two suspects remain in custody on unrelated charges, and one is still at large.
Federal and local agencies collaborated in the investigation, including LAPD, Burbank PD, Homeland Security, and the ATF.
If convicted, defendants face up to life in federal prison.
Officials emphasized the crackdown as part of ongoing efforts to dismantle transnational criminal enterprises exploiting U.S. communities and commerce.