Introduction to Armenian Gang War
A motorcyclist coasted to a stop on a sun-baked street in the San Fernando Valley. He retrieved a stepladder from the bed of a pickup truck and leaned it against a high metal fence that encircled a two-story house. Observing the late afternoon scene was a man who lived next door to the fenced-off home. The neighbor, who declined to be named for fear of retaliation, told The Times he watched in disbelief as the motorcyclist — still wearing a helmet — climbed up the ladder and opened fire with a rifle. According to federal authorities, the neighbor had witnessed a salvo in a war between rival crews of Armenian criminals. The target of the attempted hit on Aug. 18, 2023, was Vahan Harutyunyan, a convicted fraud artist and money launderer, a federal agent wrote in an affidavit.
Armenian Organized Crime
The affidavit describes a violent turn within Armenian organized crime circles, whose operators have historically preferred to make money quietly rather than wage wars that invite attention from the police. In normally-placid suburbs of the San Fernando Valley and Burbank, organized crime leaders and their families were targeted by masked shooters who allegedly used drones and tracking devices to conduct surveillance. Two crews of rival Armenian organized crime figures are accused of shooting and kidnapping one another. Last month, authorities arrested 13 men, including Harutyunyan, 49, who has pleaded not guilty to kidnapping charges. His former neighbor said he had no idea he was living next door to an alleged gangster. But after Harutyunyan was shot six times in a second attack, the neighbor said, “I figured he had enemies.”
Structure of Armenian Underworld
In Los Angeles, home to a thriving community of Armenian emigres, there is no single group that can be described as the “Armenian mob,” according to law enforcement and criminal sources who requested anonymity to discuss pending investigations and avoid retaliation. The sources said the city’s Armenian underworld is comprised of independent operators who collaborate on rackets that include insurance fraud, drug dealing, fuel theft, credit card scams, protection shakedowns and kidnappings for ransom. When a deal goes wrong, these criminals rely on an informal mediation system overseen by bosses called “thieves in law,” who are backed by organized crime leaders in Russia, Jerome Sandoval, a Homeland Security Investigations agent, wrote in an affidavit.
A ‘Thief in Law’ in a Rolls Royce
For years, the only “thief in law” in Los Angeles was Armen Kazarian, Sandoval wrote. Kazarian, nicknamed Pzo, was admitted to the United States in 1996 as a refugee, prosecutors wrote in a 2010 memo. He settled in Glendale, where he lived in a luxury condominium tower and was chauffeured in a white Rolls Royce Phantom, according to surveillance records reviewed by The Times. A home where federal authorities said Vahan Harutyunyan resided in North Hills. Agents watched the 5-feet-3 Kazarian, who favored velour track suits and newsboy caps, meet at spas and restaurants with scammers and drug traffickers. “Everybody had to bow down to him,” said a former Kazarian associate who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation. In 2010, Kazarian was charged with racketeering. Federal prosecutors in New York alleged he arbitrated conflicts between operators of sham clinics that defrauded Medicare of $35 million. He pleaded guilty and served three years in prison. After he was spotted gambling in Las Vegas — a violation of his probation — Kazarian was deported to Armenia in 2017.
A Hitman in a Clown Mask
According to Sandoval, two men fought to take Kazarian’s place: Robert Amiryan and Ara Artuni. Born in Armenia, Amiryan, nicknamed Fish, served time in federal prison for illegal firearm sales, the agent wrote. A burly man with a beard, shaved head and no neck, Amiryan, 46, is a reputed member of Toonerville, a predominantly Latino gang in Atwater Village. Artuni was born either in Armenia or Iran, Sandoval wrote. Bald and clean-shaven, Artuni, 41, had no criminal record and lived in Porter Ranch. According to Sandoval, Amiryan and Artuni were not “thieves in law” like Kazarian, but rather “avtoritets,” a lower-ranking title that still conferred respect within Armenian organized crime circles. Melanie Killedjian, an attorney representing Amiryan, said her client “denies all the allegations against him and maintains his innocence.” She declined to comment further. Artuni’s lawyer declined to comment. According to the federal agent’s affidavit, Artuni collected “tribute” from a crew of underlings who fleeced banks, state medical insurers — and even Amazon.
A Hit, a Kidnapping and a Shoot-out
The first act of violence directly targeting Amiryan came the night of April 3, 2023. As Amiryan pulled into his underground garage, a man wearing a ski mask shot at him with an AR-15, Sandoval wrote. To find out who was behind the attempted hit, Amiryan and his crew kidnapped one of Artuni’s associates and tortured him for information, according to the agent. The victim’s family tracked his phone to a house in Sun Valley. LAPD officers surrounded the home, and Amiryan exited with two others — Harutyunyan and Sevak “Seco” Gzraryan, the affidavit said. Inside, the decor suggested men taking a break from a grisly job: bottles of Johnnie Walker and Macallan scotch. A pack of Camel cigarettes. Blood spatter and bullet holes in the walls. On Gzraryan’s phone, agents found videos of the kidnapping victim being interrogated about the hit on Amiryan, Sandoval wrote. The victim said Artuni was responsible.
The Alleged Gangster Next Door
When Harutyunyan moved into the two-story stucco with a red tile roof in North Hills, his neighbor asked what he did for a living. “Professional gambler,” Harutyunyan replied, according to the neighbor. Born in Armenia, Harutyunyan was convicted in the 1990s of brandishing a replica gun and trying to pass a fraudulent check in Fresno, according to a probation report reviewed by The Times. In 2005, he got involved in a Glendale-based group of fraud artists who used stolen identities of doctors and patients to bill Medicare for fake services, the report said. Harutyunyan didn’t know the man he trusted to cash $1.5 million in Medicare checks was an informant for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He served four years in prison for conspiring to commit grand theft, money laundering and possessing an assault weapon, court records show. Immediately after moving into the North Hills house, Harutyunyan replaced the railed fence with a solid metal one, his neighbor told The Times. Artuni still managed to spy on Harutyunyan, Sandoval wrote — his phone allegedly contained drone footage of the house filmed 19 days before the motorcyclist opened fire from the stepladder.
Conclusion
The Armenian gang war in Los Angeles is a complex and violent conflict that involves multiple players and factions. The war is fueled by a desire for power and control, as well as a need to protect territory and reputation. The conflict has resulted in numerous shootings, kidnappings, and murders, and has had a significant impact on the community. Law enforcement agencies are working to disrupt and dismantle the criminal organizations involved in the conflict, but it is a challenging and ongoing process.
FAQs
Q: What is the Armenian gang war in Los Angeles about?
A: The Armenian gang war in Los Angeles is a conflict between rival crews of Armenian organized crime figures, who are fighting for power, control, and territory.
Q: Who are the main players involved in the conflict?
A: The main players involved in the conflict are Robert Amiryan and Ara Artuni, who are both reputed members of Armenian organized crime groups.
Q: What kind of crimes are the gangs involved in?
A: The gangs are involved in a range of crimes, including insurance fraud, drug dealing, fuel theft, credit card scams, protection shakedowns, and kidnappings for ransom.
Q: How has the conflict affected the community?
A: The conflict has resulted in numerous shootings, kidnappings, and murders, and has had a significant impact on the community, causing fear and instability.
Q: What are law enforcement agencies doing to address the conflict?
A: Law enforcement agencies are working to disrupt and dismantle the criminal organizations involved in the conflict, through investigations, arrests, and prosecutions.
