TAMPA - Life sometimes imitates art. In a scene that seems more appropriate for a Hollywood crime thriller than gay porn, a popular performer has been arrested and charged with, essentially, attempting to carry out a hit on a Florida couple - not once, but four times, all of them unsuccessful.
Note to accused hit man: Don't quit your day job.
Armenian-born Edmon Vardanyan, known in the gay adult industry as Nickolay Petrov, was booked Jan. 8 on federal charges of "traveling in interstate commerce with the intent to kill, injure or harass," according to a federal complaint. Court documents reveal Vardanyan, 23, is accused of attacking Grigori and Galina Komissarchuk, both said to be in their 60s, at their homes in Brooklyn, N.Y., and Sarasota, Fla. The Komissarchuks sustained skull fractures and other injuries in four separate attacks carried out by a hammer-wielding assailant. The first attack occurred Sept. 24, 2006; the most recent was April 30, 2007. Both identified Vardanyan as their attacker.
Vardanyan told federal investigators he was offered $20,000 to kill the couple because they refused to pay a debt. He received between $800 and $1,000 for the job because "he didn't do the job correctly," according to the criminal complaint.
Jet Set Men producer Chris Steele said he was flabbergasted when he heard the news about Vardanyan's arrest.
"But he's so professional and nice!" Steele told GAYVN, adding that even his mother liked Vardanyan, whom she met once as she and Steele drove him to the airport after a shoot. "Chad Donovan and I wanted him in [recently released Jet Set movie] On Fire! but his agent told me he was in a little bit of trouble and couldn't travel right now. Well, this is a little more than ‘a little bit of trouble,' I'd say!"
Steele called Vardanyan a "great performer" and said he was exceptionally easy to work with.
"I had him in a movie where there was another model who was a pain in the ass," he said. "And then there was Nickolay, who was nice as can be. He filled in for the other guy, did another scene and just worked his ass off. All he ever said about it was ‘Sure. No problem.'
"It's sad, really," Steele continued. "Here's another guy with everything going for him.... If he hadn't been in trouble, he could have made that much [money] in On Fire! We really wanted him in that movie."
Howard Andrew, the owner of FabScout Entertainment and Vardanyan's agent, said Vardanyan "disappeared" about eight months ago. Andrew first became aware of the performer's legal issues about two months later when Vardanyan's roommate called him "asking for a significant amount of money to get Nickolay out of trouble." Andrew said he was surprised when he found out the kind of trouble Vardanyan was in.
"He's a very nice guy," Andrew said, adding the performer has been a guest in his home. "I just don't see that [kind of violent behavior] being in his personality.
"I don't know if he did it, but people sometimes do stupid things for stupid reasons," he added. "We wish him and his family nothing but the best."
GayVN
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