Tamara Dadyan, a 43-year-old woman from Encino, arrived in Los Angeles in late February 2023 after being extradited from Montenegro, where she had been living as a fugitive for about a year.

According to court records, Dadyan pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and one count of aggravated identity theft, back in June of 2021. She was originally sentenced to 130 months in prison in December 2021. Just a few weeks later, though, she fled the United States to join two of her co-conspirators.

COVID-19 Loan Fraud Ring

Dadyan was allegedly a member of a fraud ring in LA that plotted to get more than $20 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) COVID-19 relief funds. Together with her co-conspirators, they used dozens of fake, stolen, or synthetic identities to submit approximately 150 fake PPP and EIDL loan applications.

Dadyan and her co-conspirators also submitted fake documents, including fake payroll records, to lenders and the Small Business Administration (SBA) to support the fake loan applications. Then they used the fraudulent records of those fake funds to make down payments on three luxury homes in California and to buy other things, like gold coins, diamonds, luxury watches, cryptocurrency, and securities.

Hiring an Expert Criminal Attorney

Under federal law, if a fugitive moves or travels to a foreign country to avoid prosecution, custody, or confinement after they are convicted of a crime in the U.S., they can be found guilty of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution (UFAP). If a defendant is found guilty of UFAP, it could mean increasing their initial sentence. In this case, Daydan was originally facing 130 months in federal prison. This sentence may escalate or expand when she appears before the U.S. District Court in LA, depending on the judge's reaction.

Attorney Vitaly Sigal of Sigal Law Group is an expert criminal defense attorney who understands how overwhelming the idea of a prison sentence can be. As such, he will work tirelessly to ensure he organizes a defense that will offer you the best possible outcome for your case. Call 818-325-0579 today for a free consultation.