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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/17/2018 - STAFF REPORTS - 00 M :3 2111 ©CT 17 PM 4- � �ik.t �i Nker. l.LtoIn Woman _� 9 SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2018 9 3A � ! _ guilty . of �Msv � ' $3M fraud of widow i Keith W.Kohn Palm Springs Desert sun lye, 1 USA TODAY NETWORK A 47-year-old woman has been con- victed of working with her brother for several years to swindle millions of 1 dollars out of the widow of Robert Pond,a co-founder of the Palm Springs Air Museum- On Wednesday,Marie Hozanne Va- 1 V nian,of Glendale,was convicted of el- der bemuse;id ti the ,6�- ctaLoL$3.2 million and committinE an /J� 1 aooravatoA �co ar crime. She is expected to be sentenced Sept. 28 and • • i could face up to 14 years in prison.She is awaiting sentencing at the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside. i Prosecutors convinced a Riverside . County Superior Court juryinthe nine- day trial that Vanian, in conjunction I� with her brother, gained the confr- dence of Jo Pond,whose late husband I e t Robert Pond,a Palm Springs business- man, helped found the air museum. Robert Pond, who was also known for his exotic cars collection,died in 2007. * Authorities contend Vanian and her t � brother,Sharvash"Sean"Vanian,took d ef' i advantage of their ties to the Pond fam- ily.Essentially,Mane Vanian,they suc- ces sfully argued,became Ponds book II�I keeper and her brother Pond's invest- ment adviser. Marie Vanian's attorney, Tarek 4 7U tL5 Shawky,said in an interview that pros- ecutors really were after her brother but settled for his client when it was clear the brother most likely would not See GUILTY,Page 5A Cc �`� t Prepared by: �G�►�M Date: 6 , in ._�_.___" �`� �.= e�-�-Wit_.-�� �l�p;�� � �� �f►,,�,_._—._.�. �_. i6 16 17 is JL 20 21 _ 22 25 26 27