Exclusive | California clan that swindled $18M from COVID cash inspires Senate bill to crack down on ‘fraudster families’

Nypost · Aug 20, 2026 · 715 words · By Ryan King

Government Waste and Fraud Legislative Crackdown criminal justice

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What to know about Government Waste and Fraud

California clan that swindled $18M from COVID cash inspires Senate bill to crack down on ‘fraudster families’ See more of our coverage in your search results.

Claims checked 14

Techniques found 3

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center67%

Right33%

3 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

California clan that swindled $18M from COVID cash inspires Senate bill to crack down on ‘fraudster families’ See more of our coverage in your search results.

Why it matters

Add The New York Post on Google WASHINGTON — They’re a shady bunch.

Common ground

A California family that swindled $18 million in COVID-19 relief cash to splurge on various trappings — including a Harley-Davidson, diamonds and luxury homes — inspired a Senate crackdown on so-called “fraudster families.” Two of the family members, Richard…

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Name Calling / Labeling, Exaggeration / Hyperbole: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Government Waste and Fraud story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Gandi Yusuf Mohamed and five family members swindled over $10 million from the Federal Child Nutrition Program [in the Feeding Our Future Fraud Scheme in Minnesota]?
How does this story connect Government Waste and Fraud with Legislative Crackdown over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/08/20/us-news/california-clan-that-swindled-18m-from-cov…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 3 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 90% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

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Name Calling / Labeling 85% confidence

Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.

Why it matters: Recognizing name calling / labeling helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Exaggeration / Hyperbole 70% confidence

Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.

Why it matters: Recognizing exaggeration / hyperbole helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 14 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 6

schedule Pending 4

info Single Source 2

help Insufficient Evidence 2

info

Claim 1: “Gandi Yusuf Mohamed and five family members swindled over $10 million from the Federal Child Nutrition Program [in the Feeding Our Future Fraud Scheme in Minnesota].”

SINGLE SOURCE

The evidence provided for this claim consists of internet speed test results (Ookla), which are completely irrelevant to the claim about Gandi Yusuf Mohamed.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Test your internet speed on any device with Speedtest by Ookla, available for free on desktop and mobile apps.
https://www.speedtest.net/

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web search NEUTRAL — To accurately test your internet speed, we recommend Ookla Speedtest. Test your network performance and quality here: https://www.speedtest.net/ Ookla® and Speedtest ...
https://linksys.speedtest.net/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Test your internet speed with Speedtest by Ookla, a free and reliable tool for desktop and mobile devices.
https://www.speedtest.net/it

schedule

Claim 2: “four “grifting grandmothers” — all of whom are sisters — who snatched some $11.5 million from the Department of Agriculture by furnishing some 200 false claims for farm aid.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 3: “an elderly, supposedly dementia-stricken accountant allegedly greenlit the family’s request but gave some $8.4 million, as the Edwards claimed to have over 500 employees.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found after searching for the claim regarding the dementia-stricken accountant and the $8.4 million payment.

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Claim 4: “The No Cash for Cohabitating Kins of Crooks Act bars individuals who live with convicted criminals or fraudsters cut off from federal grants, loans, subawards, or reimbursements from getting that money.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent sources describe the 'No Cash for Cohabitating Kins of Crooks Act' and its purpose to bar individuals living with convicted fraudsters from receiving federal funds.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The No Cash for Cohabitating Kins of Crooks Act bars individuals who live with convicted criminals or fraudsters cut off from federal grants, loans, subawards, or reimbursements from getting that mone…
https://nypost.com/2026/08/20/us-news/california-clan-that-s…

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web search NEUTRAL — “The No Cash for Cohabitating Kins of Crooks Act is the direct result of Luke Rosiak’s investigation that exposed family fraudsters milking Medicaid in Ohio, which I invited him to share with the Sena…
https://www.dailywire.com/news/doge-chair-sets-sights-on-sca…

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web search NEUTRAL — Ernst is exposing 15 families who collectively stole $50 million taxpayer dollars and has introduced the No Cash for Cohabitating Kins of Crooks Act to prohibit government loans, contracts, grants, or…
https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ernst-prese…

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Claim 5: “Ayvazyan and Terabelian are now serving out a 17-year and a six-year prison sentence, respectively.”

CORROBORATED

Wikipedia confirms Richard Ayvazyan is serving a 17-year sentence, and the Office of Public Affairs (via web search) confirms Marietta Terabelian was sentenced to six years.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Richard Ayvazyan is a convicted fraudster, serving a 17-year prison sentence in Lompoc, California for defrauding the U.S. government of millions of dollars in relief funds authorized by Congress beca…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Ayvazyan

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web search NEUTRAL — Navigate an intuitive interface that makes it easy to onboard team members, manage client approvals, and schedule posts with zero hassle. Robust reporting tools make it easy for your team members and …
https://www.socialpilot.co/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — May 19, 2025 · We’re an all-in-one social media management platform built specifically for agencies, freelancers, and social media managers like you. Our tools help you collaborate better with clients…
https://vistasocial.com/insights/social-media-client-onboard…

+ 1 more evidence source

help

Claim 6: “the Edwards family, who were living in Florida when they concocted a bogus family ministry to seek $6 million from the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program during the pandemic.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found after searching for the Edwards family and the bogus ministry claim.

info

Claim 7: “Using stolen identities from foreign exchange students as well as elderly and dead people, they swindled $18 million in COVID-19 relief funding before being caught and convicted in 2021.”

SINGLE SOURCE

While the fraud and conviction are confirmed, the specific evidence provided for this claim index consists of Harry Styles lyrics, which are irrelevant. No evidence was provided in the search results confirming the use of stolen identities of foreign students or the deceased.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Nov 16, 2019 · Watermelon Sugar Lyrics: Tastes like strawberries on a summer evenin' / And it sounds just like a song / I want more berries and that summer feelin' / It's so wonderful and warm / Breat…
https://genius.com/Harry-styles-watermelon-sugar-lyrics

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Harry Styles "Watermelon Sugar": Tastes like strawberries on a summer evenin' And it sounds just like a song I want more berries and...
https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/harrystyles/watermelonsugar.…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Harry Styles - Watermelon Sugar (Letra y canción para escuchar) - Breathe me in, breathe me out / I don't know if I could ever go without / Watermelon sugar high / Watermelon sugar high
https://www.letras.com/harry-styles/watermelon-sugar/

schedule

Claim 8: “The son, Josh, was sentenced to four years and three months behind bars earlier this year.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 9: “Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), who has led the Senate DOGE Caucus, to push for legislation cutting off so-called “fraud families” from government aid.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm Senator Joni Ernst leads the Senate DOGE Caucus and has used her 'Squeal Award' to highlight 'fraudster families' to push for anti-fraud legislation.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Daniel Scott Sullivan (born November 13, 1964) is an American politician, attorney, and Marine Corps veteran serving since 2015 as the junior United States senator from the state of Alaska. A member o…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Sullivan_(U.S._senator)

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Joni Kay Ernst (née Culver; born July 1, 1970) is an American politician and retired military officer serving since 2015 as the junior United States senator from Iowa. She is a member of the Republica…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joni_Ernst

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The actions of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have attracted reactions from officials, scholars, and citizens. While a majority supports the creation of an agency dedicated to efficien…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Response_to_the_Department_of_…

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 10: “Ultimately, she was sentenced to 17 months and her son to 14 months for the scheme.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 11: “Two of the family members, Richard Ayvazyan and his wife, Marietta Terabelian, cut off their ankle bracelets and ditched their three children via a goodbye note to flee the US after being convicted on fraud charges, before being caught in Montenegro.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm the couple cut off their ankle monitors, abandoned their children, and fled the US, eventually being caught in Montenegro.

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web search NEUTRAL — (Corrected) Richard Ayvazyan, 43, & Marietta Terabelian, 37, were found guilty in $21 million bank/SBA fraud & are set to be sentenced. The pair allegedly cut monitoring bracelets & are considered fug…
https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/coronavirus/encino-covid-…

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web search NEUTRAL — A Tarzana couple awaiting sentencing after their conviction in an $21 million COVID-19 relief fraud case allegedly cut their ankle monitoring bracelets and went on the lam, according to the FBI's Los …
https://abc7.com/post/san-fernando-valley-fugitives-captured…

+ 1 more evidence source

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Claim 12: “The couple had teamed up with former Los Angeles-area real estate broker Tamara Dadyan — Ayvazyan’s sister-in-law — and her husband Artur Ayvazyan on the scheme.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm the involvement of Tamara Dadyan and Artur Ayvazyan in the fraud scheme alongside Richard Ayvazyan and Marietta Terabelian.

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web search NEUTRAL — Ayvazyan and Terabelian, who were respectively sentenced to 17 years and six years in prison, were extradited to the United States from Montenegro in November 2022.The Fraud Section leads the Criminal…
https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/co-leader-covid-19-l…

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web search NEUTRAL — Ayvazyan, his wife Marietta Terabelian, and his brother and Dadyan's husband, Artur Ayvazyan, were found guilty last summer of bank fraud, wire fraud and money laundering in the scheme. Artur Ayvazyan…
https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/encino-tamara-dadyan…

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web search NEUTRAL — The participants were Tamara Dadyan; her husband, Artur Ayvazyan; her brother-in-law, Richard Ayvazyan; and his wife, Marietta Terabelian. Now the “entire family of fraudsters is behind bars,” the rep…
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/08/20/families-cost-taxpaye…

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Claim 13: “a Washington state family that feigned caregiver roles to take $1.1 million from the Veterans Affairs Administration. The fraud revolved around Kelly Lee-Carroll, who claimed she was partially paralyzed and couldn’t walk. She had her sister and son serve as caretakers.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 14: “A California family that swindled $18 million in COVID-19 relief cash”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent web sources confirm that Richard Ayvazyan and Marietta Terabelian, a couple from Tarzana/California, were convicted of conspiring to fraudulently secure at least $18 million in pandemic relief funds.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The COVID-19 pandemic in California began earlier than in some other parts of the United States. Ten of the first 20 confirmed COVID-19 infections in the United States were detected in California, an…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19_pandemic_in_Californi…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A variety of unfounded conspiracy theories and other misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines have spread based on misunderstood or misrepresented science, religion, and law. These have included exagger…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19_vaccine_misinformatio…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The following is a timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in California.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_COVID-19_pande…

+ 3 more evidence sources

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.