The Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog
In June 2017, a couple met and became friends with a doctor from Malibu worth more than $60 million. The man had a mental health condition, and he was unable to take care of himself.
A couple of days later, the pair began residing with the doctor in his Malibu beachfront home, but they reportedly did not pay anything to stay there.
According to reports, they appointed themselves as his caretakers. They allegedly stopped him from communicating with his loved ones as they took control of his daily life. They also reportedly kept the man drugged with ketamine, marijuana, and LSD for the following year.
The alleged victim was arrested due to a mental health problem, and the couple reportedly convinced him to award them the power of attorney so they could pay his bail.
Over time, the couple reportedly siphoned the alleged victim’s money into a bank account in their name.
In mid-2018, the alleged victim passed away, and when the man’s family found out his money was gone, they filed a lawsuit. Though they were ordered, the couple reportedly did not return the money.
The couple was taken into custody last week. The man was placed under arrest in Fresno. The woman was detained after flying to Houston from Mexico.
Both suspects are facing many federal charges, including one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, two counts of wire fraud, two counts of mail fraud, one count of conspiracy to engage in money laundering, two counts of money laundering, and one count of engaging in a monetary transaction in a criminally derived property.
They have each pleaded not guilty to the charges. According to the justice department, if they are convicted, they could face 20 years in prison for each fraud count, 20 years on the conspiracy to commit money laundering and laundering of monetary instruments counts, 10 years on transactional money laundering count, and a mandatory two-year prison sentence for the aggravated identity theft count.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a theft offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.