OFFICERS SAY BURGLARY RING CAUGHT IN ACT, ARRESTS MADE.

Byline: Jason Kandel Staff Writer

Five members of a Russian-Armenian organized crime syndicate engaged in a series of burglaries that targeted cigarette, jewelry and pawn shops across the San Fernando Valley and Los Angeles County, authorities reported Friday.

Their arrests dealt a crushing blow to the burglary ring, which netted them millions of dollars worth of jewelry, cash and tobacco products.

``They're a full-service organization ... dealing in all types of burglaries and fraud,'' said Deputy District Attorney Ronald Goudy, who's prosecuting the case. ``We've recovered probably a million dollars in property.''

Ashot Avoyan, 42; Suren Melkonyan, 46; Andranik Grigoryan, 29; Arsak Grygoryan, 36; and John Nazarian, 32; have been charged with multiple counts of burglary. All but Andranik Grigoryan were being held at the Los Angeles County Jail. Bail ranged from $50,000 to no bail. They face arraignment Monday.

Police were still searching for the suspected ringleader, Ara Karapetian, 42, who is wanted on a $2 million arrest warrant in connection with a June 13 burglary of a Van Nuys pawn shop, the same heist that the other five suspects are accused in.

Karapetian's attorney, Gharo Ghazarian, declined to comment.

Alex Kessel, the lawyer representing Andranik Grigoryan, said his client is innocent and was wrongfully arrested near a Van Nuys pawn shop.

``My guy was jogging around in his neighborhood,'' said Kessel, whose client is free on bail. ``He has no connection to this burglary whatsoever.''

Attorneys for the other suspects did not return calls.

For the first time since their arrests in June, police on Friday spoke about the ring, which they say used sophisticated means to commit its heists. The suspects allegedly drilled through the roofs of at least a dozen jewelry stores and pawn shops, then disabled the alarm systems and hauled out safes before disappearing.

``They've done a lot of damage to us,'' said Detective Dan Schultz of the Los Angeles Police Department's Commercial Crimes Division. ``They started out burglarizing cigarette warehouses, then welfare fraud and commercial burglary. They're multitalented.''

Police suspect that Karapetian - who is believed to have connections to the Armenian mob - carried out the day-to-day operations of his criminal enterprise and also took part in the nighttime burglaries.

Sheriff's Detective Alex Gilinets, with the department's major crimes bureau, said their hunt for Karapetian is continuing, and that the suspected ringleader has contacted investigators while on the lam.

``I've had conversations with Ara over the phone. He appears to be very distraught and upset. He says he's innocent, but if he was innocent he would turn himself in,'' Gilinets said.

Karapetian lives in the Glendale Hills area and owns two clothing stores and a money-transfer business that helps local Armenians send money home. He also has residences in Las Vegas, the United Arab Emirates and Armenia, police said.

Detectives have issued wanted posters for Karapetian to police agencies and jewelers alliances across the nation. Interpol, the international law enforcement agency, has also been notified.

``We've been by his house a half-dozen times,'' Schultz said. ``We go by his businesses regularly. I wouldn't be surprised if he surrenders.''

Sheriff's investigators began tracking the ring in June when a surveillance camera caught several men trying to haul a safe out of a Crescenta Valley jewelry store. The probe eventually ballooned into a multiagency undercover task force involving the Sheriff's Department, the LAPD, the District Attorney's Office and the Glendale Police Department. Police caught up with the crew June 13 during a surveillance operation outside a Van Nuys pawn shop. As the suspects walked out of the shop, and began to leave, police stopped them and made arrests. Karapetian got away, leaving behind his California driver's license, Gilinets said. Nobody was injured.

``They were very smooth, but of course, everybody's got their flaws,'' Gilinets said. ``Eventually they stood out, and they were caught.''

Jason Kandel, [phone]

jason.kandel(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo:

(color) KARAPETIAN