Burbank authorities have apprehended a man accused of engaging in a scam involving the rental of pricey audiovisual gear. The scam, which centers around Ryan Levon Roman, 32, has ruffled feathers within Los Angeles County's tight-knit community of camera equipment rental businesses, as per the City of Burbank.
According to a news release from the Burbank Police Department, in December 2024, Roman allegedly rented AV equipment and failed to make the required payment. His ruse unraveled when the private dealer realized the payment was not clear, prompting a police investigation. In a statement made by the City of Burbank, they confirmed that Roman was later arrested last Wednesday, in Westwood Village, Los Angeles.
Roman's arrest has uncovered a deeper trail of deception, with several victims coming forward. Ruoyu Li and Yang Fei, a couple who own a camera rental business, are among those affected. In a FOX LA interview, Li described Roman as a "real smooth talker," who had convinced them to rent out an Arri Alexa 35 camera package and two Tokina zoom lenses, worth over $100,000. Fei expressed their initial self-blame, highlighting Roman's deceptive capabilities: "At first we blamed ourselves really hard." Fei added, "We thought we were so stupid, making this mistake, but then we learned, he’s a convicted felon he will always have a way to trick us."
He is currently being held on $75,000 bail. Authorities are urging anyone with information about Roman or similar incidents to contact Detective Arias at (818) 238-3010 for cases within Burbank, or their local law enforcement agency for cases outside of Burbank, as detailed by the City of Burbank.
