Convictions in Kidnap-for-Ransom Trial

Vagan Adzhemyan, a former Armenian wrestling champion, and Galvin Gibson have been convicted for the kidnap-for-ransom of Sandro Karmryan in Los Angeles, CA.
Adzhemyan admitted kidnapping Sandro Karmryan in July 2009, beating him, shocking him with a stun gun, holding him captive at various locations across Southern California and demanding a $1 million ransom from his family. Adzhemyan argued his actions were necessary because Karmryan was plotting to have him killed because he knew about an alleged loan scam. Karmryan had paid a Russian mafia boss $27,000 to kill him after a complicated financial deal between the men went sour, his attorney Harland Braun said. * * * Braun said his client kidnapped Karmryan because he wanted to get proof that Karmryan had paid someone to kill him. Many of the interrogations that took place were captured on cell phone or audio recordings, and Braun said Karmryan admitted more than 100 times to paying a killer. Prosecutors said the confession was forced.  * * * U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Nguyen barred Braun from presenting evidence to explain why Adzhemyan committed the crime because she found it irrelevant to his guilt or innocence.


source: associated press