Family Members Arraigned in California Auto Insurance Fraud Scheme

A California family is charged with insurance fraud in what authorities describe as a staged staging accident involving a Porsche.

Pasadena residents Sarkis Dishchyan, 47, Ani Suzie Labbad, 47, and Violett Lara Labbad, 44, were arraigned on multiple counts of felony insurance fraud for allegedly staging a vehicle accident involving their Porsche Cayenne to collect nearly $39,000 in insurance payouts.

A California Department of Insurance investigation was launched after a suspected fraudulent claim referral alleging an individual admitted to unwittingly being involved in a staged collision involving claimant Ani Labbad and her husband Dishchyan. The individual claimed that Dishchyan, whom they know through their sibling who was formerly incarcerated with Dishchyan, reached out with an opportunity to make $5,000. Dishchyan covered the cost of airfare and hotel from Illinois to California and asked the individual to rent a vehicle from a rental car company, according to the CDI.

An investigation reportedly showed that once the individual arrived in California, they were riding in the rental car as a passenger while Dishchya drove and intentionally rear-ended a Porsche, causing the rental car to flip and land on its roof. The Porsche was being driven by a person who claimed to be Ani Labbad, Dishchyan’s wife. A witness at the scene reportedly claimed they saw a man crawl out of the overturned rental car and flee on foot before Pasadena Police Department arrived on scene.

Further investigation and body camera footage reportedly found that the driver of the Porsche was actually Violett Labbad, Ani Labbad’s sister, who gave Pasadena police Ani’s driver’s license and identified herself as Ani at the scene of the collision.

According to the passenger in the rental car, they were not aware that Dishchyan was planning to rear-end the Porsche until just prior to the collision, the CDI says.

According to the CDI, cellphone data was used to confirm both Dishchyan and Violett Labbad’s phones were in the vicinity at the time of the collision, while Ani Labbad’s location was at her home address. Cellphone data also reportedly confirmed on the day of the collision that Dishchyan sent a text to Violett Labbad requesting her help that night, and additional text messages from Ani Labbad to Dishchyan stating Violett was “on her way”. These texts were time-stamped minutes before the collision, the CDI says.

After the staged collision, Ani Labbad filed a claim with her insurer, and with the insurance carrier for the car rental company and received $38,932. The third-party-administer for the car rental company then filed a claim with the individual’s insurance policy due to lack of liability coverage and non-cooperation from the individual, according to the CDI.

Dishchyan, Ani Labbad, and Violett Labbad were arraigned on February 20, and pleaded not guilty. The case is being prosecuted by the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office.

Topics California Auto Fraud