Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón has announced that three people have been charged in a 159-count complaint with identity theft, grand theft and residential burglary in a home improvement loan scam that cost lenders $3.4 million.
“This alleged scheme preyed on low-income homeowners, many of whom were elderly and did not speak English. They thought they were getting a deal on home improvements, but they ended up living in fear of losing their homes,” District Attorney Gascón said. “Let these charges serve as a warning to anyone thinking about scamming consumers in Los Angeles County: we will work tirelessly to stop your schemes and hold you accountable.
I thank the team of investigators in my office and the Contractors State License Board and the prosecutors in my Economic Justice and Notario Fraud Unit for their hard work on this three-year investigation. If you or someone you know believes they were victims of this scheme, please call CSLB at (916) 255-4161.”
Norbertas Sinica of Thousand Oaks (dob 12/27/84), Selena Garcia of Riverside (dob 8/19/95) and Kelliams S. Chavistad of Long Beach (dob 06/27/80) are named in case BA510001.
Sinica is charged in 159 felony counts. The charges include 10 counts of residential burglary, 32 counts of identity theft, nine counts of financial elder abuse, 32 counts of false personation, 32 counts of causing a forged instrument to be recorded and 34 counts of grand theft.
Garcia is…
