Pair Pinched On Multiple Grand Theft, Foreclosure Consultant Fraud Charges In Alleged Loan Modification Racket; Each Remains Free On $100K Bail

In Ventura County, California, the Ventura County Star reports:

• An Oxnard woman and a Los Angeles man were charged with four counts of grand theft on allegations they collected thousands of dollars in fees on promises to reduce a woman's mortgage loan and save her home from foreclosure, prosecutors said.



• Gloria Becerra, of Oxnard, and Hector Menendez, of Los Angeles, also were charged with 11 counts of foreclosure consultant fraud and one count of attempted grand theft, according to prosecutor Dominic Kardum.



• Both were arrested Tuesday and remain free on $100,000 bail each, jail records show. Becerra, 46, and Menendez, 55, ran a fraudulent home modification and foreclosure rescue program, Kardum said in a news release. They used the business names of Sunset Beach Management, Financial Wellness for Homeowners LA and California Sky Premiers, Kardum said.



• The victim received no services from the defendants. She lost thousands of dollars and her home to foreclosure, according to Kardum. Becerra and Menendez are due in court for a hearing April 16, court records show. If convicted, both could get up to 12 years and eight months in jail, Kardum said.



• People who think they might have been deceived by Becerra and Menendez may call the Real Estate Fraud Unit at 662-1750.

Source: Oxnard woman, other person charged with theft in mortgage fraud.