A couple in California, Richard Ayvazyan and Marietta Terabelian, have disappeared after being alleged of stealing millions of dollars out of the Covid-19 relief funds.
The prosecutors stated that the couple and some others successfully carried out a plan to steal more than $20 million out of the COVID-19 relief funds targeted at helping small businesses during the pandemic.
A U.S attorney had disclosed that the defendants ran away with the funds which, the government had intended to channel into helping people and businesses suffering from the economic effects of the pandemic.
The couple and Ayvazyan’s brother, Arthur were found guilty of conspiracy to commit fraud. They had used fake and stolen identities, including names of those who were dead and foreign exchange students who had briefly visited the US years ago, coupled with falsified tax forms and payroll records, to
submit illegal loan applications to lenders and the small business administration.
As the whereabouts of Richard Ayvazyan and Marietta Terabelian remains unknown, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has put out an offer of $20,000 reward for information leading to their arrest.
