Glendale couple faces felony charges in $300,000 Nordstrom 'buy-and-switch' scam

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Published  May 1, 2026 1:41pm PDT
FOX 11

Arpineh Sarkisian and Argin Gharapetian allegedly returned counterfeit versions of luxury items like YSL and Gucci after purchasing the originals online. / Glendale Police Department

The Brief

    • Glendale police arrested two residents allegedly involved in an organized retail fraud scheme that targeted Nordstrom using counterfeit high-end designer goods.
    • Arpineh Sarkisian and Argin Gharapetian allegedly returned counterfeit versions of luxury items like YSL and Gucci after purchasing the originals online.
    • While $50,000 in losses are confirmed, investigators are working to verify if the total loss reaches the estimated potential of $300,000.

GLENDALE, Calif. - Police in Glendale have arrested two people in connection with a long-running retail fraud operation in which crooks swapped authentic designer merchandise for counterfeits to secure fraudulent funds. 

What we know:

The investigation began in February 2026 after a Nordstrom employee flagged a suspicious return, according to police.

Detectives discovered a pattern dating back to 2019, involving 224 purchases of high-end items—all of which were eventually returned. 

Authorities say Arpineh Sarkissian, 40, and Argin Gharapetian, 32, made over 224 purchases of designer clothing and cosmetics, returning fake replicas to the store and distribution centers to secure refunds.

A search of the suspects' Glendale home on April 22 uncovered a massive cache of luxury goods, counterfeit tags, along with packaging materials and evidence that the authentic items were being resold online.

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Evidence suggests the pair was reselling the genuine items—including labels like YSL and Gucci—on an online merchant platform.

Glendale Police Financial Crimes Detectives worked in coordination with Nordstrom investigators during the investigation.

Sarkisian and Gharapetian were arrested and booked on suspicion of multiple offenses, including felony grand theft, receiving stolen property, and theft by false pretenses.

What's next:

A court date is scheduled for August. 

While Sarkissian was cited and released the same day as the search, the legal status of Gharapetian is still being processed.

Detectives are continuing to review evidence from the online merchant platforms used to resell the stolen goods to determine if other retailers were targeted.

While confirmed losses currently sit at an estimated $50,000, investigators are auditing years of transaction history to determine if the final figure exceeds $300,000.

What you can do:

The Glendale Police Department is asking anyone with additional information regarding this retail fraud scheme or the suspects involved to contact the Financial Crimes Unit at 818-548-3101.

The Source: This report is based on information from the Glendale Police Department.

Crime and Public SafetyGlendale