Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog

Santa Ana- Mel Wayne Campbell, a lawyer in Orange County and his wife and her brother were recently caught embezzling money from the car company KIA Motors America Inc The wife Cecile Nhung Campbell, an accountant who worked at Kia set up a fake corporation called U.S. Customs Service Detail. This company was meant to resemble the United States Customs Service. Cecile would make transfers from that account into a personal Wells Fargo Account. They all pleaded guilty to embezzlement. Cecile was faces 16 years in prison, her brother Long Ngo faces 12 years in prison, and Mel Campbell was sentenced to 4 years in prison. The trio stole around $889,000 from the car company.

Crimes like embezzlement, grand theft, identity theft, credit card theft, and Insurance fraud are considered white collar crimes. Embezzlement can be found in the California Penal Code 503. It states that embezzlement is the fraudulent appropriation of property by a person to whom it has been entrusted. Many times a charge of grand theft will come along with an embezzlement charge. Grand theft can also be found in the Penal Code under section 487. Grand theft has occurred when the amount of money or property stolen amounts to more than $400. These charges are considered felonies in California.

White Collar crime charges are very serious. The punishments include long prison sentences, fines, and restitutions. There can also be white collar crime enhancement added to the initial charges. It is important to hire a Newport Beach white collar crime defense attorney to help you defend your charge.

Continue reading "Orange County Family Caught in Embezzlement Scheme" »

Anaheim- Kainat Syeda of Buena Park was a police cadet for the Anaheim Police Department at the lobby traffic window. It is alleged that Syeda would take money from individuals, give them their release forms but put "no sale" into the cash register. None of the money went to the City of Anaheim. She was finally discovered by another cadet. She faces 44 felonies two of them being falsification and concealment of public accounts and theft exceeding $150K.

In California crimes like the ones listed above are considered white collar crimes. These crimes are most common among employees. White Collar crimes include; identity theft, grand theft, embezzlement, credit card fraud and healthcare fraud. The charge of falsifying and concealment of public records can be found in the California Penal code section 424(a)(3). It states that each officer of this state, or of any county, city, town, or district of this state, and every other person charged with the receipt, safekeeping, transfer, or disbursement of public moneys, who knowingly keeps any false account, or makes any false entry or erasure in any account of or relating to the same is punishable by up to four years in prison, and is disqualified from holding any office in this state.

White Collar crimes are dealt with very seriously in Orange County. A felony is very serious and the punishments can change a person's whole life. Many times people that have been charged with a white collar crime also lose their professional license. It is important to hire an Orange County white collar crime defense attorney or a Newport Beach professional license defense attorney.

Continue reading "Anaheim Police Cadet Steals $225,000" »

Los Angeles, California - Los Angeles Detective Leonard Avalos of the LAPD is facing embezzlement and grand theft charges. It is alleged that Avalos was embezzling money that was meant to go to protect witnesses. Many witnesses will not testify unless they are given money from the city to move away after the trail. Avalos was supposed to give these city funds to the witness. However, Avalos could not produce any of the receipts that would prove he gave them the money. After the police questioned the witnesses, it was discovered that he had only given them some of the money and embezzled the rest. Is he is convicted he faces up to six years in prison.

Under California law, Crimes like grand theft, embezzlement, credit card fraud, health care fraud, and identity theft are considered white collar crimes . Grand theft usually can be charged as felony and can be defined in the California Penal Code, section 487. Grand theft has occurred when the money or property that has been taken amounts to more than $400. Embezzlement can also be found in the Penal code under section 503. It states that embezzlement has occurred when Embezzlement is the fraudulent appropriation of property by a person to whom it has been entrusted. Both of these crimes are usually charged as felonies.

It is important to hire an experienced Newport Beach white collar crime defense attorney or Irvine embezzlement attorney if you are facing charges like grand theft or embezzlement. These crimes are considered felonies and can mean long prison sentences and restitution. It is imperative to hire a skilled Orange County theft crime attorney or a Los Angeles criminal lawyer to defend you.

Continue reading "Los Angeles Detective Faces Embezzlement and Grand Theft Charges" »

Huntington Beach, Orange County - A Huntington Beach company, Rehab Financial is under suspicion of embezzling $450,000. Many California cities such as Huntington Beach, Seal Beach, Buena Park, Westminster, and La Habra used this company for escrow services. The Company was used in projects like Federal Community Development Block Grant Funding and Redevelopment Agency housing funds. Suspicion arose when the company stopped returning phone calls and the Huntington Beach office was cleared out. San Francisco also filed a lawsuit against the company claiming that Rehab Financial misused 1 million dollars of a grant that was set aside for low-income housing.

In California, crimes like embezzlement are referred to as "white collar crimes". Examples of a white collar crime are: grand theft, healthcare fraud, Medicare fraud, credit card fraud, and identity theft. The charge of embezzlement is defined in the California Penal code section 503. It states that embezzlement has occurred when Embezzlement is the fraudulent appropriation of property by a person to whom it has been entrusted. This crime is very common amongst the employee and the employer.

In California, Grand theft is a common charge that comes along with many embezzlement charges. Grand theft is defined in the California Penal code section 487. Grand theft occurs when the amount of property taken is over $400. Many white collar crimes are charged as felonies. Punishments include a prison sentence, fines and restitution.

In California, white collar crimes like embezzlement are considered very serious. It is important to hire a Huntington Beach white collar defense attorney to help you defend your white collar crime charge.

Continue reading "Huntington Beach Financial Company Suspected of Embezzlement" »

Tustin, Orange County - An Orange County secretary was caught embezzling $140,000. As a secretary at Five Star Water Truck Rental, she was in charge of the company's finances and the bank account. Beverly Winter would forge the checks and then deposit them into a personal bank account. She was finally discovered when her employer was notified from the bank that the companies account had been over drawn. She is being charged with felony forgery and felony falsifying records.

Under California law, forgery and falsifying records are just a couple examples of "white collar crimes". A white collar crime is usually a crime like embezzlement, identity theft, credit card fraud, check fraud, and grand theft. Forgery can be defined in the California Penal code section 470(d). Forgery occurs when a person knowingly alters, falsifies, or counterfeits anything like checks, and money orders. This can be charged as a felony in California and is a very serious offense. There can also be an en added if enhancement amount stolen amounts to over $100,000.

White collar crimes are considered very serious in California. They are usually charged as felonies and can come with enhancements. A person facing a white collar crime charge like fraud, embezzlement, forgery or grand theft should immediately hire an Irvine white collar crime defense attorney or a Newport Beach criminal attorney to protect your rights.

Continue reading "Orange County employee charged with felony grand theft and Embezzlement" »

Placentia- Orange County businessman Joseph Aluya is being accused of stealing around $321,000 in tax returns from his clients. He owns a company that does tax preparation as well as real estate, notary and loans. It is alleged that Aluya will plea not guilty to the allegations. Aluya has a trust account set up for his client's returns. The money is wired into this account and would then print out a check to give to a client. He claims he never had a customer complain about getting cheated. He is facing the charges of tax evasion and possession of stolen government money.

In California, crimes involved with professionals in embezzlement, fraud or grand theft are considered "white collar crimes". White crimes can involve fraud, healthcare fraud, embezzlement, identity theft, band fraud, check fraud, credit card fraud, and grand theft. Grand theft or grand larceny is a very serious offense. In this case not only will he have to face the charges of tax evasion and possession of stolen government money, but could also face embezzlement and grand larceny charges. Grand theft is one of the most common white collar crimes in Orange County. It can be defined in the California Penal code section 487. Grand Theft has occurred when the amount of what was taken amounts to more than $400. This is usually charged as a felony.

Since being charged with a white collar crime such as grand theft or fraud is so serious. It is important to hire an experienced Orange County white collar crime defense attorney to handle your case so that your legal rights can be protected.

Continue reading "Orange County Business man accused of Grand Theft and White Collar Crime for stealing $321,000" »

Santa Ana, Orange County - Santa Ana man, Michael Martinez recruited members of a Santa Ana gang to help him commit Medicare fraud. He and 20 other defendants planned to defraud Medicare by making fraudulent orders on wheelchairs, orthothics and hospital beds. Some of the defendants were supposed to act as owners of a medical supplies company. They submitted around 11.2 million dollars of fraudulent claims to Medicare. He is expected to plead guilty.

Under California criminal law, Medicare fraud falls under a set of crimes called "white collar crimes". These crimes usually deal with crimes like embezzlement, healthcare fraud, identity theft, grand larceny and credit card fraud. In cases like this one, the suspect usually faces grand theft charges. Grand theft can be defined California Penal code under section 487. Grand theft or grand larceny, is committed when what was stolen amounts to more then $400. This charge is usually charged as a felony which means that the person being charge will have to pay fines and serve a prison sentence.

Any of the white collar crime like embezzlement is considered very serious charges, and most of the time they get charged as felonies. This can mean long sentences, large fines and having to pay restitution. Retaining an experienced Irvine white collar crime defense attorney or a skilled Newport Beach fraud defense attorney is imperative when defending white collar crimes, grand theft, or fraud charges, such as medical fraud or health care fraud.

Continue reading "Santa Ana Gang Commits Medicare Fraud and Grand Theft" »

Huntington Beach- Bridget Ganier was convicted of grand theft at Huntington Beach West Justice Center earlier this week. Ganier worked at Orange Coast Medical Center as a cafeteria executive assistant. Part of her job was to handle the cafeteria's daily deposits. It is alleged that Ganier stole form the hospital over the course of five years. She stole a total of $300,000 and deposited the money into her personal account. With the money she bought houses in Las Vegas, and rental homes in Orange County, several cars, and jet skis. Ganier would take the money, and then alter the records and the receipts. She was finally discovered by the hospital administrators when she went on vacation and the cafeteria's profit doubled. She was sentenced to three years in the state prison and must pay $306,000 in restitution.

Huntington Beach white collar crime defense attorney Michael Guisti defines the charge of grand theft. He explains that it can be found in the California Penal code section 487(a). It describes grand theft occurs when the money, labor, or real or personal property taken is of a value exceeding four hundred dollars. He goes on to say that grand theft is usually charged as a felony which means you will have to serve a prison sentence and may be ordered to pay restitution. However, having an aggressive, knowledgeable criminal defense attorney can help you get the felony grand theft charges dropped down to a misdemeanor.

White collar crimes cover a wide variety of charges. If you are facing the charges of medical fraud, credit card fraud, health care fraud, grand theft, embezzlement, identity theft or real estate fraud, you are facing a white collar crime charge. When facing a white collar crime charge, it can seem confusing, and overwhelming. The person facing the charge may feel like they do not have any options. Hiring an aggressive Newport Beach grand theft defense attorney can give you some options.

Continue reading "Huntington Beach Hospital Worker Stole $300,000" »

Huntington Beach, Orange County - Huntington Beach couple Mary Jones and Miguel Orozco were arrested for suspicion of burglary. Police had been investigating a series of commercial burglary cases in the Huntington Beach area. The couple was stopped for a traffic violation when the officer noticed the stolen property in the back seat of their car. The victim of the burglary was able to identify their property that had been stolen by the couple. They are being held on burglary charges.

Huntington Beach criminal defense attorney Michael Guisti, who spent years defending theft crime charges in Orange County and commented on this case. He states that the charge of burglary can be found in the California Penal code section 459. It defines burglary as entering a residential area with the intent to commit a crime while inside. This is also called first-degree burglary, and is usually charged as a felony. However this cases deals with commercial buragalry. It is also referred to as second-degree burglary. This is the lesser of the two burglaries and can be charged as either a misdemeanor or a felony.

Having a burglary charge on your record can be serious. The Orange County criminal process may seem confusing to a person that is facing a theft crimes charge like burglary. Hiring an experienced Newport Beach criminal defense attorney and Costa Mesa Theft Crime defense attorney to help lead you through the court system is the most important step in defending your theft crimes charge.

If you or someone you know has been investigated or arrested for theft crimes, either a misdemeanor or a felony theft crime, whether it is embezzlement, grand theft, shoplifting, fraud, white collar crime, financial fraud, medical fraud, health care fraud, insurance fraud, petty theft, or any type of theft crimes, you need to have an experienced and qualified Orange County theft crime attorney or an Irvine criminal attorney to protect your rights immediately.

Continue reading "Huntington Beach Couple Arrested for Theft and Burglary " »

Santa Ana- Mitchell Zogob, a former insurance broker, pleaded guilty to 23 counts of insurance fraud. He is sentenced to 10 years in jail for grand theft, forgery, and insurance fraud. Zogob was paid 4.6 million in workers comp insurance premiums. He would then give the companies forged certificates of insurance, however he never obtained insurance. This left the companies open to workers comp claims.

Santa Ana white collar crime defense attorney Michael Guisti explains what a white collar crime is and its punishments. He explains that there are many different types of white collar crimes such as grand theft, insurance fraud, health care fraud, forgery, and credit card fraud and identity theft. He goes on to explain the white collar crime grand theft. Grand theft is one of the most common types of white collar crime and it can be found in the California Penal code section 487(a). Its states that grand theft has occurred when, the money, labor, or real or personal property taken is of a value exceeding four hundred dollars. The court can also decide to add an enhancement to the charge if the amount taken is more than $500,000.

In Orange County, white collar crimes, such as grand theft, insurance fraud, and embezzlement are dealt with to the fullest extent. If convicted of theses serious charges a person can expect to be facing long prison sentences, fines, and restitution. Retaining a Newport Beach white collar crime defense attorney to defend you is the most important step you can take.

Continue reading "Former Santa Ana Insurance Broker Caught for Fraud" »

Laguna Niguel, Orange County - Laguna Niguel resident, William Baker, was arrested Thursday for stealing almost a million dollars from investors in a investment scheme. Instead of using the fund for his clients, he used the fund for his personal use. From 2006 to 2008, Baker embezzled nearly $1 million from at least 10 investors. Baker had promised investors the he would buy run down houses and then remodel them. Baker took the money from the investors and bought property, then put the properties in a trust for his son. He also used some of the investor's funds to pay back earlier investors.

Orange County white collar crime defense attorney and Los Angeles County investment fraud defense attorney Michael Guisti recently discussed about this case, stated that Baker could be facing serious felony crime in grand theft, embezzlement, real estate fraud and investment fraud charges. The Los Angeles criminal attorney also commented that a defendant like Baker with bail amount of 1 million dollars, need to prove the legal source of money before posting bond. California has very harsh penalties for people that commit real estate fraud, investment fraud and embezzlement.

Orange County white collar crime defense attorney Michael Guisti also states that these types of crimes are considered felony crimes which come with not only long prison sentences, but large fines and restitution. Baker is most likely going to also face the charge of grand theft which is defined in California Penal code section 487(a ) and it states a person has committed grand theft when the money, labor, or real or personal property taken is of a value exceeding four hundred dollars ($400). A Laguna Niguel judge might also decide to add an aggravated white collar crime enhancement which adds five years to the prison sentence and is a $500,000 fine.

The first move a person needs to make when facing a white collar crime in Southern California, such as real estate fraud, credit card fraud, insurance fraud, investment fraud, and mortgage fraud, medical fraud, healthcare fraud, grand theft or embezzlement, or need professional license defense is to retain a experienced Los Angeles criminal attorney or an Orange County white collar crime defense attorney immediately. Newport Beach fraud defense attorneys and Newport beach white collar crime defense attorney at law Offices of Michael Guisti have handled hundreds of white collar crimes in Laguna Niguel, Irvine, Costa Mesa, Fullerton, Anaheim, Santa Ana, Westminster, Los Angeles, Beverly hills, santa monica, redondo beach, pasadena and many other cities.

Continue reading "Laguna Niguel Man Arrested for embezzlement and fraud in house flipping scheme" »

Santa Ana, Orange County - Six Los Angeles residents were charged with check fraud today. The defendants have stolen more than$ 650,000 from various retail stores around the area. The defendants Tyrone Grey, Tyrica Goff, Jazmine Williams, Brittnay Myvett, Niesha Johnson and Nedra Beard allegedly have been writing the checks in several stores.

The scheme consisted of the defendants writing counterfeit American Express travelers checks at stores like T.J Maxx, T.J Maxx Home Goods and Marshall's. The defendants would then buy merchandise that amounted over $100. Then the six defendants would return the merchandise to get the money. They used the counterfeit checks in different stores within those chains.

In California theft crime are a very serious offense and the punishments can be very harsh. There are various forms of theft crimes such as: grand theft, white collar crime, shoplifting, petty theft, fraud, medical fraud, issurance fraud, larceny, grand larceny, embezzlement, auto theft, and credit card fraud. Los Angeles criminal attorney Michael Guisti, of a Leading criminal defense law firm in Orange County and Los Angeles, spoke about the case, indicated that if these 6 people are convicted with theft crime or check fraud using or making counterfeit checks, the punishments could be severe, such as prison time in a federal prison and large fines as outlined in California Penal Code section 470-483.5.

A person that is being charged with a theft crime they need to hire an experienced Los Angeles criminal defense attorney or an Orange County criminal attorney

Orange County theft crimes defense attorney Michael L. Guisti has handled hundreds of theft crimes cases and has the experience you need to represent you. If you or someone of know is getting charged with a theft crime. Contact the Law Offices of Michael Guisti and consult with our skilled Southern California criminal defense attorney. Call him at (714) 530-9690 or visit us at www.topcalifornialawyer.com.

Los Angeles - Recently, a Los Angeles golf course operated by the Veterans Affairs Medical Center was shut down due to financial improprieties. Two employees Christopher Spelio and Brian Clark were charged with embezzlement. The two had been undercounting green fees and concessionaire profits and pocketing thousands of dollars.

The pair was caught after local police had place surveillance equipment in the course's club house. The police had been tipped of by some employees that had been suspecting Spelio and Clark of stealing. Police found that the stealing had been going on for six years. They have estimated that the amount that has been embezzled amounts to $180,000.Other employees think it could be as much as $200,000

The two men entered in misdemeanor guilty pleas in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

Orange County Theft Crimes attorney and Los Angeles white collar crime attorney, Michael Guisti predicts that these men might also charged with other theft crimes such as grand theft and money laundering

Embezzlement is considered a "White Collar" crime. This type of crime is also referred to as employee crime. Under the California Penal Code 186.11(a) embezzlement consist of a pattern of related felony conduct and the pattern of related felony conduct involves the taking, or result in the loss by another or entity of, more than $100,000 a person that is facing such a charge would need a good Orange County Criminal attorney. If you are facing these charges you could face upon conviction you could be facing imprisonment in federal prison.

There are a wide variety of theft crimes such as grand theft, petty theft, grand theft, petty theft, embezzlement, forgery, shoplifting, medical fraud, insurance fraud, band fraud, credit card fraud, identity theft, auto theft. Under California law if you are charged with a theft crime it can be very serious. Penalties for being charged with a theft crime are prison time, large fines, restitution, probation and parole. Theft crime penalties depend upon the seriousness of the crime and prior criminal records. It could also mean the loss of your professional license.

It is critical that if you are charged with theft crime that you retain a criminal defense attorney that has experience in this area of the law. If you or someone you know has been arrested or charged with a theft crime or a white collar crime like embezzlement. Call our skilled Los Angeles Criminal Attorney or Orange County criminal lawyer at Law Offices of Michael L. Guisti at 714-530-9690.

NEWPORT BEACH, Orange County - An Ex-CFO of an Irvine based architectural company, was arrested Thursday for grand theft and white collar crime. Salvatory Josef Fulwider, of Yorba Linda, was charged on Thursday with embezzlement for stealing over $1.9 million from the firm's business accounts and the firm owner's personal account from 2003 to 2009. Fulwider is held on $1.3 million bail and will be arraigned on Monday at the Harbor Justice Center in Newport Beach.

According to Orange County Theft Crime attorneys at Law Offices of Michael L. Guisti, if Fulwider wants to post the bail of $1.3 million, he needs to prove that the fund he will use for bail is from a legal source instead of the illegal source.

After reviewing the case, the Orange County criminal defense attorney and Irvine Theft Crime defense lawyer, Michael Guisti, analyzed that it looks like that the CFO, Fulwider, could be convicted of white collar crime, grand theft, forgery, falsifying records, and also he could get sentencing enhancements for grand theft of over $1.3 million. If this corporate financial executive is convicted, he is most likely to be sentenced to over 40 years in prison.

There are various types of theft crime charges, such as grand theft, petty theft, embezzlement, forgery, shoplifting, medical fraud, insurance fraud, band fraud, credit card fraud, identity theft, auto theft, and money laundering.

Under California criminal law, theft charges are serious crimes and the punishment is very harsh, it includes: prison time, large fines, restitution, probation and parole. Theft crime penalties depend upon the seriousness of the crime and prior criminal records. If you or someone you know has been arrested or investigated for theft crime, embezzlement or white collar crimes, it is critical to retain the services of a criminal defense attorney who has the knowledge and experiences to ensure a successfully defense for your theft crime charges.

Continue reading "Newport Beach CFO charged with White Collar crime, Grand Theft and Embezzlement " »

NEWPORT BEACH, Orange County - A Newport Beach woman, Bethany Jane Brady, who was working as an account for a Newport Beach salon for13 years, was charged with grand theft and embezzlement for stealing more than $250,000 from the employer. Brady had been using funds from the salon's account for her personal use for the past three years. Brady was convicted of grand theft, embezzlement and identity theft.
Brady was sentenced to two years in state prison for felony theft crime of embezzling more than $250,000 from the Newport Beach salon. Besides, she also has to pay $250,000 in restitution. She was also facing enhanced sentencing for stealing more than $200,000.

There are various charges involved with theft crimes and white collar crimes, such as grand theft, fraud, embezzlement, insurance fraud, bank fraud, real estate fraud, credit card fraud, forgery, medical fraud, shoplifting and petty theft.

Under California law, embezzlement is defined as illegal transfer of money for personal use. In California, embezzlement is also called employee theft crime. It is a theft crime that committed by employees.

In a case involved someone such as Bethany Brady, who steals money from the employer for the amount over $400, can be charged with a serious Grand Theft and embezzlement. It can be charged as either a misdemeanor or a felony. If the person is charged with felony Grand Theft, the punishment usually includes: state or federal prison, restitution, Fines and more. If you have been charged with white collar crime or embezzlement or grand theft in California, it is important to hire an experienced Los Angeles Theft crime attorney or Orange County white collar crime attorney to protect your rights.

Continue reading "Newport Beach Woman convicted of Felony Grand Theft and Embezzlement" »