‘Deadbeat’ dad who pays $9000/month in child support but owes $1.7 million flees to the Middle East
One of the worst examples of the discrimination men face in the court systems has been ongoing in Canada.
Vrege Armoyan, a Nova Scotia businessman and developer, has been called one of the “worst deadbeat” fathers in Canadian history by a Canadian judge who sentenced him to four years in prison on top of a massive fine of $384,000.
According to the National Post:
Family Court Judge Theresa Forgeron said Armoyan’s “defiance spanned many years” and he owes a “shameful amount of arrears” racked up in a deliberate plan to hide money and to avoid paying support for his three children, ages 20, 18 and 15.
“His children struggle to survive while Mr. Armoyan has millions of dollars,” said Forgeron in handing down the sentence and fine.
The only problem is that his children and his ex-wife were still receiving $9000 a month in child support.
Armoyan was originally ordered to pay $29,000 a month in child support and alimony in 2012. He never paid the full amount however, and opted to pay 1/3 of the amount, roughly $9000 a month. The total arrears is $1,714,684.04, on top of owing over $1 million in court costs.
That wasn’t enough according to one lawyer, “This is one of the worst,” said Toronto family lawyer Harold Niman. “On the scale of deadbeats it’s probably the worst deadbeat that I could imagine in any family law case.”
From the National Post:
Just weeks ago Armoyan told the court via email that he was no longer a resident of Canada but he failed to say where he had moved. However, Niman told the court an email had indicated that Armoyan was in the Middle East. He said the move was part of Armoyan’s plan to evade Canada’s child and spousal support laws.
Armoyan fled Florida and returned to Canada several years ago after a court there sentenced him to 60 days in jail for failing to obey a court order on support.
In 2013, according to court documents, Armoyan sold his luxury yacht in Lebanon and put his Lamborghini on the block for $105,000 and a Corvette for $62,000. At the same time, he received a $2 million tax-free capital dividend and more than $1 million from his mother.
“Tens of millions of dollars have disappeared. (Armoyan) is not living in a cave. … My client can’t afford groceries. She can’t afford to fly here for this hearing,” Niman told court. “Mr. Armoyan is many things, but one thing he is not is stupid. He knows exactly what he is doing.”
I agree with the assessment that Armoyan knows exactly what he’s doing and I applaud him for it.
Armoyan’s ex claims she can’t afford groceries or a plane ticket to attend court. Let’s expose that statement for the lie that it is.
$9000 a month translates into $108,000 a year. On top of that, child support is not taxable, so we can assume that Armoyan’s ex is able to keep a very large portion of that payment. The median income for a two income household in the U.S. is $51,017. Armoyan’s ex wife is making over twice the amount of the average two income household. If she can’t buy groceries for her kids then what exactly is she spending all that money on?
Armoyan was found guilty of contempt of court, and last Friday was supposed to appear for a sentencing hearing. Neither he nor his lawyer attended. Niman told the court that Armoyan “strategically and tactically” avoided payment and fled the country.
Luckily for Armoyan it’s unlikely that warrant will ever reach him because his address is currently only known as “the Middle East.”
Good, and I hope he finds a better life wherever he is hiding.