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Man pleads guilty to stealing COVID relief funds in NoHo hospice scheme

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A West Hills man pleaded responsible Friday to stealing authorities funds designed to help medical suppliers within the therapy of sufferers affected by COVID-19.

Gurgen Israyelyan, 39, additionally admitted to stealing further authorities funds supposed to assist small companies through the COVID-19 pandemic, the Division of Justice stated in a information launch.

Israyelyan stated he owned Saint Christopher Hospice Inc., a hospice company in North Hollywood, which closed round September 2019.

The hospice company, which was by no means operational through the COVID-19 pandemic, acquired roughly $89,162 designated for the medical therapy and care of COVID-19 sufferers, in response to court docket paperwork.

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Israyelyan admitted that he stole the funds by spending them for his private use and by transferring them to relations, relatively than utilizing the funds along side pandemic reduction efforts as required, the DOJ stated.

“The costs in opposition to Israyelyan resulted from his intentional misuse of funds distributed from the Coronavirus Assist, Reduction, and Financial Safety (CARES) Act Supplier Reduction Fund, cash specifically apportioned by the CARES Act to assist well being care suppliers who had been financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic to supply care to sufferers who had been affected by COVID-19, and to compensate suppliers for the price of that care,” the information launch states. “The funds had been crucial to delivering reduction to well being care suppliers and sustaining entry to medical care through the pandemic.”

As a part of his responsible plea, Israyelyan additionally admitted that he submitted, or prompted to be submitted, 5 fraudulent Financial Damage Catastrophe Mortgage functions to the Small Enterprise Administration on behalf of the hospice company, and 4 different entities that he managed: GMG Holdings LLC, Double G Ventures LLC, One Contact Assistants LLC, and G.I. Building Group.

Because of the fraudulent mortgage functions, the Small Enterprise Administration disbursed roughly $428,100 to Israyelyan, all of which had been proceeds that he knew he was not entitled to and which he used for his personal private profit, the DOJ stated.

The Financial Damage Catastrophe Mortgage program, which was expanded beneath the CARES Act, was designed to supply loans to small companies that suffered substantial financial damage from the pandemic.

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Israyelyan pleaded responsible to 3 counts of theft of presidency property.

He’s scheduled to be sentenced on June 13 and faces as much as 10 years in jail for every depend.

Anybody with details about allegations of tried fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Division of Justice’s Nationwide Middle for Catastrophe Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or by way of the NCDF Internet Criticism Type.

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Los Angeles, Ca

Suspect sought in fatal shooting of man in Los Angeles Co. neighborhood

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Suspect sought in fatal shooting of man in Los Angeles Co. neighborhood

Homicide detectives are searching for whoever shot and killed a man in Los Angeles County Wednesday night.

The incident was reported shortly before 11 p.m. in the 800 block of North Rose Avenue in the City of Compton.

Arriving deputies found a male victim at the scene suffering from at least one gunshot wound.

Detectives respond to a fatal shooting in Compton on June 26, 2024. (KTLA)

The victim, who has not been identified, was pronounced dead at the scene, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department stated in a news release.

Video showed caution tape blocking off the neighborhood street lined with parked cars as detectives investigated the crime scene.

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No information regarding the suspect, or suspects, has been released.

The motive for the shooting was also unknown.

Anyone with information about the shooting was asked to call the Sheriff’s Department at 323-890-5500. Those who prefer to remain anonymous can contact Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

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Los Angeles, Ca

Man targeted by follow-home robbers who led pursuit across Southern California

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Man targeted by follow-home robbers who led pursuit across Southern California

Two suspects who led police on a lengthy pursuit through Orange and Los Angeles counties Wednesday are believed to be connected to a follow-home robbery in Rancho Cucamonga.

The male victim, who did not wish to be identified, visited a Chase bank on Tuesday and withdrew around $2,000 in cash from the ATM for a birthday party.

He drove to his parents’ Rancho Cucamonga home and entered the house, leaving the cash inside his car.

That’s when he suddenly heard his car alarm go off. 

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“He said, ‘As soon as I sat down [inside the home], I heard the alarm go off,’” the victim’s mother recalled. “He said, ‘My car was broken into! I ran out and saw no one was close to my car.’”

A nearby home doorbell camera captured the suspects’ white SUV speeding away before the victim could catch them.

“In looking at home video surveillance, they were able to piece together what had happened and they spotted a white SUV which happened to be the Audi,” explained Maria Rodriguez a spokesperson from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. 

Around 10 a.m. Wednesday morning, Costa Mesa police officers spotted the white Audi SUV with license plates that had been stolen in Riverside. 

The suspects refused to pull over and led officers on a lengthy pursuit. They reached speeds of over 100 miles per hour while dangerously weaving through freeway traffic and surface streets.

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Rancho Cucamonga officers noticed the SUV and immediately contacted Costa Mesa police, alerting them the car may be the same vehicle used in the follow-home theft. 

“Sure enough, it was determined that, yes, it was the car we had seen from [Rancho Cucamonga’s] case the day prior,” Rodriguez said.

At one point during the chase, the driver pulled over, stepped out and surrendered to police. However, the passenger suddenly jumped into the driver’s seat and sped off, continuing the chase.

The car was later abandoned in Hawthorne and was located by police. The suspect, however, was nowhere to be found.

The victims said they’re glad one suspect was caught, but are hoping the second suspect is located soon before another person is victimized.

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“We were fortunate because no one was hurt,” said the victim’s mother. “But the money was gone and it was not a happy day for all of us.”

Crime technicians are investigating the SUV hoping to find evidence that will lead detectives to the suspect at large.

Anyone with information on the incident can call Rancho Cucamonga police at 909-941-1488.

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Los Angeles, Ca

Another person fatally stabbed in latest Metro violence

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Another person fatally stabbed in latest Metro violence

A person was fatally stabbed just after getting off a Metro bus in South Los Angeles Tuesday afternoon.

At 2:10 p.m., Los Angeles Police Department officers responded to the Metro station at Slauson Avenue and the 110 Freeway, a spokesperson told KTLA 5 News.

Once the officers arrived, they found that the victim and assailant had exited the bus together before they got into an altercation. The assailant pulled out a blade and stabbed the victim multiple times before fleeing, police said.

That victim was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Footage shared to the Citizen app shows the aftermath of a fatal stabbing near a Metro bus on June 26, 2024.

The attacker, believed to be a white or Hispanic man about 30 years old, was still at large as of 3 p.m.

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In a statement, Metro noted that “violence in the communities we serve spilling over onto our public transit systems continues to be an issue in Greater Los Angeles.”

“Metro extends its condolences to the family and friends of the victim,” the statement added.

This was the latest violent incident in or near Metro stations and vehicles in recent months. Shootings and stabbings have left several people dead, and in response, Metro officials are exploring the possibility of creating their own police force. It would supplant the LAPD, L.A. County Sheriff’s Department and Long Beach Police Department, which are contracted to secure public transit for Metro.

Anyone with information can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).

Nancy Fontan contributed to this report.

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