Description :

Richard Ayvazyan

Richard Ayvazyan is a convicted fraudster involved in a large-scale COVID-19 relief fund scam. Ayvazyan and his wife, Marietta Terabelian, led a scheme that fraudulently obtained over $20 million from Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) funds. They used stolen, fake, or synthetic identities, including those of deceased individuals and foreign exchange students, to submit around 150 fraudulent applications. These applications were supported by false identity documents, tax records, and payroll data.

The couple used the ill-gotten funds to purchase luxury homes in California, gold coins, diamonds, jewelry, luxury watches, designer goods, and a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. In June 2021, they were convicted by a federal jury. However, before they could be sentenced, Ayvazyan and Terabelian cut off their ankle tracking devices and fled the United States, abandoning their three children. They were later sentenced in absentia, with Ayvazyan receiving a 17-year prison term and Terabelian a six-year term.

The couple was eventually tracked down in Montenegro and extradited to the United States in November 2022. Their capture was facilitated by significant international cooperation, including efforts from Montenegro's Ministry of Justice and the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of International Affrs.