Skip to content Skip to Content

Man implicated in fraud of Palm Springs widow believed to have fled the country

Authorities renewed their call for information on a man implicated in the elder abuse of the widow of the founder of the Palm Springs Air Museum, saying the prosecution of these types of crimes is a priority.

47-year-old Marie Hozanne Vanian of Glendale, allegedly with the aid of her brother, Sharvash “Sean” Vanian, who remains at large, stole in excess of $3.2 million from Jo Pond, whose husband, Robert Pond, co-founded the Palm Springs Air Museum and ran successful business ventures until his death in 2007.

Marie Vanian was sentenced Friday to nearly seven years in state prison.

But Monday, prosecutors said they had reason to believe Sean Vanian had fled the country and was in Dubai.

“In this specific case, while one of the defendants has now been found guilty by a jury and sentenced, it is important that the second person charged also face justice for these crimes,” said John Hall, spokesman for the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office.

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Sean Vanian can contact Supervising DA Investigator Paul Edwards at (951) 955-5400, added Hall.

A Riverside jury convicted Marie Vanian two weeks ago of financial elder abuse, two counts of identity theft and a sentence-enhancing white collar crime allegation.

Riverside County Superior Court Judge Patrick Magers imposed mid-term sentences for each count, totaling 80 months behind bars.

During her two-week trial, prosecutors detailed how Vanian wormed her way into Jo Pond’s affairs, thanks largely to alleged scheming on the part of her brother, who convinced the victim that he could help iron out issues connected to the trust left behind by her late husband. The Vanians had met and
become acquainted with the Ponds through one of the couple’s grandchildren, according to the prosecution.

“The investigation revealed that Sean Vanian told the family he had experience dealing with trusts and other financial matters and could help,” according to a District Attorney’s Office statement. “The investigation showed that his experience actually consisted of selling used cars and flipping real
estate.”

After winning the widow’s trust, Sean Vanian persuaded her to retain his sister as her personal assistant, while he managed the trust account, according to prosecutors.

Marie Vanian proceeded to open credit card accounts linked to Pond’s bank assets, racking up hundreds of thousands of dollars in expenses from shopping trips, travel and other personal pursuits, according to the D.A.’s office.

The defendant pretended to be the victim’s granddaughter at one point to ensure access to a luxury store credit card. Prosecutors said she also leased a Los Angeles-area home for her brother in Jo Pond’s name.

Meanwhile, Sean Vanian “transferred significant amounts of money from her living trust to a corporate account, then made loans to friends, purchased expensive automobiles and spent large amounts of the money on himself, even paying himself a monthly `salary’ of $10,000,” prosecutors allege.

Sean Vanian’s whereabouts remain unknown. He’s charged with financial elder abuse and two counts of identity theft with a sentence-enhancing white collar crime allegation.

Download the KESQ & CBS Local 2 app on iTunes or Google Play for up-to-the-minute breaking news alerts & more

More: Today’s Top Stories

First Alert Forecast

More: I-Team and Stands for You investigations

Find us on Facebook: KESQ News Channel 3 & CBS Local 2

Follow us on Twitter for breaking news updates: @KESQ & @Local2

We’re on Instagram! @KESQ_News_Channel_3 & @CBSLocal2

Watch live newscasts

Noticias en español: Telemundo 15

Article Topic Follows: News

Jump to comments ↓

KESQ News Team

BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION

News Channel 3 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation.

Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here

If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here.