Rug store operator settles lawsuit, will pay back rent on home

An accused rapist who ran a Laguna Beach rug store settled a lawsuit last week, in which he was accused of owing $30,000 in back rent.

Saeid Boustanabadi Maralan agreed to move out of the Laguna Niguel home by Sept. 10 and pay back $25,000 to Feingold, according to Isaac Zfaty of Zfaty Burns, who represents landlord Vladimir Feingold.

Maralan, 54, is charged with sexual assault and was the former manager of Sirous & Sons Rug Gallery at 222 Ocean Ave.

He was cited in the lawsuit for not vacating the property or paying $30,000 in rent for the $4-million home in guard-gated Monarch Point, according to court records.

The home is at 31732 Isle Vista and features marble flooring, a gourmet kitchen and views of the Pacific Ocean, according to a RE/MAX Fine Homes video of the property.

Maralan had agreed on June 10, 2011, to pay $10,000 a month for a year, according to documents. His last month would be free and he was to move out of the home on July 10, 2012. He is still living in the home at this point, Zfaty said.

According to Zfaty, the last time his client received rent payment was February 2012.

On May 12, Maralan was served with a three-day notice to either pay his rent or leave the property, documents show.

Maralan pleaded not guilty last year to charges that include rape, attempted forcible rape, sexual battery and sexual penetration of a foreign object. Police reported his victim count at 11, with many of the incidents allegedly occurring in the rug store.

A preliminary hearing for his criminal case is slated for Sept. 28.

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Twitter: @joannaclay