Businessman Held in Beating of Customer Is Denied Bail
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A federal judge denied bail Thursday for the owner of a Hollywood Boulevard check-cashing establishment accused of brutally beating a customer to recover what he claimed was a $15,000 debt.
U.S. District Court Judge Dean Pregerson agreed with a federal magistrate’s earlier ruling that Norik Satamian, 47, posed a threat to the community.
Satamian, owner of A & H Satamian, was indicted along with his son, Armen, 25, and son-in-law, Karen Tony Manukian, 26, last month on federal extortion charges.
The three defendants were accused of kicking and beating Mher Agadjanian for five hours while demanding $15,000 restitution for a bad check they said was cashed by a relative of Agadjanian’s ex-girlfriend at a Satamian check-cashing branch in Yerevan, Armenia.
Agadjanian was finally released after his mother turned over several valuable religious icons, a candelabra and a silver picture frame, the indictment said.
Satamian’s son and son-in-law are free on bail. Trial is set for Oct. 13.
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