{"id":15995,"date":"2015-09-28T19:06:14","date_gmt":"2015-09-29T02:06:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=15995"},"modified":"2015-09-28T19:06:14","modified_gmt":"2015-09-29T02:06:14","slug":"four-sentenced-for-scamming-financially-distressed-homeowners-out-of-millions-of-dollars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=15995","title":{"rendered":"Four Sentenced for Scamming Financially Distressed Homeowners Out of Millions of Dollars"},"content":{"rendered":"

RIVERSIDE, CALIF.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

\"department<\/a>Four people who worked at a Rancho Cucamonga business that offered bogus loan modification programs to thousands of financially distressed homeowners were sentenced today to federal prison, officials announced today.<\/p>\n

U.S. District Judge Virginia A. Phillips<\/strong>\u00a0sentenced one of the\u00a0\u00a0leaders of the scheme to 20 years in prison, officials said.<\/p>\n

The victims who lost more than $7 million when they paid for services that were never provided.<\/p>\n

The Southland residents sentenced today were convicted of federal fraud charges for their roles in a telemarketing operation known under a series of names \u2013 including 21st Century Legal Services, Inc.<\/strong> \u2013 that bilked more than 4,000 homeowners across the nation, many of whom lost their homes to foreclosure, according to authorities.<\/p>\n

A total of 11 defendants linked to 21st Century have been convicted of federal fraud charges as a result of an investigation, authorities stated.<\/p>\n

The defendants sentenced today by Judge Phillips were:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2022 Christopher Paul George,<\/strong> 45, of Rancho Cucamonga, a co-owner of 21st Century, who was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison
\n\u2022 Crystal Taiwana Buck<\/strong>, 40, of Long Beach, a sales \u201ccloser\u201d who persuaded numerous victims to pay fees to 21st Century, who received a sentence of five years
\n\u2022 Albert DiRoberto<\/strong>, 62, of Fullerton, who handled both sales and marketing \u2013 which included making a commercial for 21st Century and preparing talking points to respond to negative publicity \u2013 was sentenced to five years in prison
\n\u2022 Yadira Garcia Padilla,<\/strong> 38, of Rancho Cucamonga \u2013 who handled client complaints and refund requests, and who posted bogus positive reviews about 21st Century on the Internet \u2013 was sentenced to four years in prison.<\/p>\n

\"FBI<\/a>George, Buck and DiRoberto were sentenced after being found guilty by a federal jury in June on various fraud charges. Padilla pleaded guilty in 2013.<\/p>\n

In addition to the prison term, officials said Judge Phillips today ordered George to pay $7,065,117 in restitution to victims of the scam. Buck, DiRoberto and Padilla were ordered to return to court next month for restitution hearings.<\/p>\n

During a 15-month period that began in the middle of 2008, a Rancho Cucamonga woman \u2013 Andrea Ramirez,<\/strong> 47, who previously pleaded guilty to fraud charges.<\/p>\n

She operated 21st Century, which defrauded financially distressed homeowners by making false promises and guarantees regarding 21st Century\u2019s ability to negotiate loan modifications for homeowners.<\/p>\n

She is scheduled to be sentenced in November, officials said.<\/p>\n

Employees of 21st Century made numerous misrepresentations to victims during the course of the scheme, including falsely telling victims that 21st Century was operating a loan modification program sponsored by the U.S. government, officials said.<\/p>\n

Victims were generally instructed to stop communicating with their mortgage lenders and to cease making their mortgage payments<\/p>\n

In addition to being a co-owner of 21st Century, George acted as a sales manager, and he ran his own sales office there for several months.<\/p>\n

\"Courtroom\"<\/a>George instructed 21st Century employees to make misrepresentations to distressed homeowners, including guaranteeing that 21st Century would obtain loan modifications and telling homeowners that payments made to 21st Century would go towards homeowners\u2019 mortgages.<\/p>\n

21st Century employees contacted distressed homeowners through cold calls, newspaper ads and mailings, and the company controlled websites that advertised loan modification services.<\/p>\n

Once they contacted the distressed homeowners, 21st Century employees often falsely told clients that the company was operating through a federal government program, that they would be able to obtain new mortgages with specific interest rates and reduced payments, and that attorneys would negotiate loan modifications with their lenders.<\/p>\n

21st Century employees regularly instructed financially distressed homeowners to cease making mortgage payments to their lenders and to cut off all contact with their lenders because they were being represented by 21st Century.<\/p>\n

On some occasions, 21st Century employees told homeowners that 21st Century was using the fees paid by the homeowner to make mortgage payments, when Ramirez, George and their co-defendants simply were pocketing the homeowners\u2019 money, officials said.<\/p>\n

In addition to Ramirez and the four sentenced today, six other defendants previously pleaded guilty<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

\u2022 Michael Bruce Bates<\/strong>, of Moreno Valley, who is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 19
\n\u2022 Michael Lewis Parker<\/strong>, of Pomona, who is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 19
\n\u2022 Catalina Deleon, of Glendora<\/strong>, who is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 14
\n\u2022 Hamid Reza Shalviri<\/strong>, of Montebello, who is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 7
\n\u2022 Mindy Sue Holt,<\/strong> of San Bernardino, who is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct.26
\n\u2022 Iris Melissa Pelayo<\/strong>, of Upland, who has been sentenced to four years in federal prison.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

RIVERSIDE, CALIF. Four people who worked at a Rancho Cucamonga business that offered bogus loan modification programs to thousands of financially distressed homeowners were sentenced today to federal prison, officials announced today….<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3968,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,3],"tags":[1682,1722,576],"class_list":["post-15995","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-home-main-slider","category-u-s-department-of-justice","tag-distressed-homeowners","tag-fbi","tag-mortgage-fraud"],"yoast_head":"\nFour Sentenced for Scamming Distress Homeowners<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Four people who worked at a business that offered bogus loan modification programs to thousands of financially distressed homeowners were sentenced\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, 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