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View Winners → Crime Oct 27, 2022
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Three people were arrested Thursday for allegedly orchestrating a wide-ranging identity theft and home improvement loan scam that prosecutors contend bilked lenders out of $3.4 million.
Norbertas Sinica, 37, of Thousand Oaks, Selena Garcia, 27, of Riverside, and Kelliams S. Chavistad, 42, of Long Beach, are scheduled to be arraigned Friday in downtown Los Angeles, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors contend the three took part in a scheme that offered homeowners energy-efficient improvements at virtually no cost, but then stole victims’ identities, which were used to apply for loans that led to assessments on the victims’ property tax bills.
“This alleged scheme preyed on low-income homeowners, many of whom were elderly and did not speak English,” District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement announcing criminal charges. “They thought they were getting a deal on home improvements, but they ended up living in fear of losing their homes. 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.”
Sinica is facing 159 felony charges including burglary, identity theft, financial elder abuse, false personation, forgery and grand theft.
Garcia is charged with 102 similar felonies, while Chavistad is facing 91 felony counts.
The criminal complaint cites a total of 32 homeowner victims.
According to prosecutors, Sinica owned a business called Eco Technology, which advertised tankless water heaters and other products. Garcia and Chavistad worked as sales associates for the company.
Prosecutors said the business made sales calls to homeowners in 2018 and 2019 offering them energy efficiency upgrades at little to no cost. When the salespeople collected the residents’ personal information, it was used to apply for Property Assessed Clean Energy program loans, which allow homeowners to finance energy improvement projects through an assessment on their property tax bills, according to prosecutors.
The loan proceeds, however, went to Eco Technology, while the assessments were placed on the tax bills of the victim homeowners, prosecutors said.
Most of the targeted homeowners were unaware of such loans being issued until they received inflated property tax bills, according to the District Attorney’s office.
