Armenian organized crime rings arrested in US

On May 20, US federal authorities arrested 13 alleged members of Armenian organized crime rings in California and Florida, linking them to five federal charges.

Among those arrested is 41-year-old Ara Artuni, accused of orchestrating the attempted murder of 46-year-old Hollywood resident Robert Amiryan in the summer of 2023. Robert Amiryan is accused of organizing the kidnapping and torture of one of Artuni’s associates in June 2023 as retaliation for the attempted murder. The group is also charged with committing online theft exceeding $83 million, engaging in bank and wire fraud, and executing “credit card bankruptcy” schemes.

During the investigation, authorities seized $100,000 in cash, 14 firearms, and three armored vehicles.

Vahan Harutyunyan, 50, Levon Arakelyan, 45, and Ivan Bojorquez, 33, are also among those arrested. On May 20, Harutyunyan made his first appearance in a Fort Lauderdale, Florida court and was arrested. The defendants, who are of Armenian descent from California, are scheduled to appear in the US District Court in downtown Los Angeles in the coming days. If convicted, they face 10 years to life in prison.