Former Armenia wrestling champ found guilty of kidnapping business associate in California

Calif. jury convicts former wrestler of kidnapping

LOS ANGELES — A former Armenia wrestling champion has been convicted of kidnapping a man, beating him and demanding $1 million ransom.

A federal jury in Los Angeles found Vagan Adzhemyan (EDZ’-ih-mee-an) guilty on Monday. His first trial last year ended with a mistrial after the jury deadlocked.

The 42-year-old Adzhemyan admitted kidnapping Sandro Karmryan, beating him, shocking him with a stun gun, holding him captive for days and demanding a $1 million ransom from his family. Authorities say the kidnapping conspiracy ended with a SWAT team rescue of the near-death victim.

The Armenian-born Adzhemyan argued his actions were necessary because Karmryan was plotting to have him killed because he knew about an alleged loan scam.

Adzhemyan was a champion wrestler in Armenia and the Soviet Union in the 1980s.

His friend Galvin Gibson also was convicted in the plot.

Information from: Los Angeles Times, www.latimes.com