US Department of Justice seeks forfeiture of LA mansion allegedly paid for with bribes involving Gagik Khachatryan

YEREVAN, MAY 6, ARMENPRESS. The United States government is seeking the forfeiture of a mansion in Holmby Hills, LA, alleging the home was purchased with bribes paid by an Armenian businessman to the family of former Armenian Minister of Finance and former State Revenue Committee Chairman Gagik Khachatryan, who is currently facing criminal charges in Armenia, the US Department of Justiceannounced Thursday.

In the complaint, filed Monday in federal court in Los Angeles, the DOJ alleges that businessman Sedrak Arustamyan paid Khachatryan, 66, and his family more than $20 million in bribes in exchange for favorable tax treatment of his businesses. The bribe payments allegedly were used to purchase the Holmby Hills property on South Mapleton Drive, which had been recently listed for sale for $63.5 million.