3 Arrested After Alleged Threats on Debtor’s Life
Three Soviet immigrants, two men and a woman, were arrested after threatening to kill a Studio City businessman if he failed to resume making payments on a loan, Los Angeles police said Friday.
Gersh Rachmeliuk, 71, Yefim Sotsky, 56, and Mari Solodko, 43, were arrested on suspicion of extortion Thursday in Hollywood near Sunset Boulevard and Fuller Avenue. Their bail was set at $500,000 each.
The victim, a Soviet immigrant whose name was withheld, borrowed $150,000 from the suspects in 1983 at 30% interest rate, said Detective Jim Murawski. Over the next several years, the man paid back more than $475,000 and finally refused to turn over any more money. “Recently the victim decided he had paid enough and couldn’t afford any more. He then received death threats to him and his family if he did not continue to pay,” said Officer Lawrence Molinar.
Detectives arranged for the victim to make a final payoff of the loan Thursday about 11 a.m. and arrested the suspects afterward, Murawski said.
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