LA County man sentenced for hiring hitman, burning down apartment complex to push out low-come tenants
A man from La Cañada Flintridge will spend the next 20 years in federal prison after a jury convicted him of a murder-for-hire scheme and burning down an apartment complex to push out low-income residents.
A federal judge also ordered 55-year-old Arthur Raffy Aslanian to pay $15,371 in restitution and fined him an additional $200,000.
In 2023, a jury found Aslanian guilty of:
- One count of use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire
- One count of conspiracy to commit arson
- One count of attempted arson
- One count of arson of a building used in interstate commerce
"This defendant thought he could get away with murder by financing a murder plot against two of his rivals," United States Attorney Martin Estrada said. "He will now serve a well-deserved lengthy prison sentence. This case should serve as a cautionary tale to those who would resort to violence to settle their disputes: You will be caught and the consequences will be severe."
The Department of Justice said Aslanian worked with 41-year-old Sesar Rivera to hire a hitman to kill his former lawyer and a long-time litigation opponent. The lawyer, only identified as "M.Y," represented Aslanian during a bankruptcy proceeding. Despite winning the case, Aslanian refused to pay the lawyer and the firm $261,000 in legal fees and expenses.
Aslanian also hired the hitman to kill another person, identified as "S.E.," who defeated the 55-year-old in court after the La Cañada resident tried to take over the Brentwood home where the victim's parents lived, according to the DOJ.
"ATF saved the lives of two individuals in this case," Christopher Bombardiere, Special Agent in Charge of ATF's Los Angeles Field Division, said. "We will continue to work tirelessly to seek out and build cases against these violent criminals who have no moral compass and instead are driven by greed."
Before the murder-for-hire plot, Aslanian worked with Rivera to hire someone to burn down his North Hollywood rental property to push out the low-income tenants that were living there. Prosecutors said a previous attempted arson failed.
In September 2022, law enforcement detained Rivera, who later agreed to work with investigators.
Rivera faces up to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire.