Real Estate broker and two agents charged with grand theft in loan mod scheme

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Case # 15CF0518

Date: April 15, 2015

REAL ESTATE BROKER AND TWO REAL ESTATE AGENTS CHARGED WITH GRAND THEFT IN LOAN MODIFICATION SCHEME

*OCDA is seeking the public’s help identifying potential additional victims in this case

SANTA ANA – A real estate broker and two real estate agents who worked together have been charged with grand theft in a loan modification scheme. The Orange County District Attorney’s Office (OCDA) is seeking the public’s help identifying potential additional victims in this case. Michael Pelimiano Soriano, 45, Irvine, Agustin Navarra Alayon, 52, Canoga Park, and Joseph Anthony Q. Oliva, 50, San Jose, are each charged with six felony counts of grand theft and one felony count of collecting a foreclosure consultant unlawful advance fee. If convicted on all counts, they each face a maximum sentence of seven years in jail. Alayon and Soriano are out of custody on $29,500 bail and are scheduled to be arraigned tomorrow, April 16, 2015, at 8:30 a.m. in Department C-55, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana. Oliva remains at large.

At the time of the crime, Soriano was a licensed real estate broker accused of owning and operating Cyberlink Diamond Group, LLC (Cyberlink) in Huntington Beach, without having the company legally licensed with the California Bureau of Real Estate (CALBRE). Soriano is accused of employing Ayalan and Oliva, both real estate agents, to work at Cyberlink as marketing representatives to solicit consumers and offer them loan modification and foreclosure rescue services.

Between March 2011 and July 2011, Ayalan and Oliva are accused of contacting distressed homeowners and offering them loan modification services to save their homes. The defendants are also accused of advertising loan modification services by hosting seminars where marketing representatives sold these programs to homeowners.

The defendants are accused of taking upfront fees from three clients, totaling $29,500 in loss. The defendants are accused of collecting these upfront fees from at least one victim, even though the victim’s house was in actual foreclosure.

One of the victims in this case reported Soriano to CALBRE, who investigated this case. CALBRE revoked the defendants’ real estate agent licenses following the investigation.

Anyone with additional information or who believes they have been a victim is encouraged to contact Supervising District Attorney Investigator Andy Terhorst at (714) 648-3615.

Senior Deputy District Attorney Pete Pierce of the Major Fraud Unit is prosecuting this case.

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TONY RACKAUCKAS, District Attorney

Susan Kang Schroeder, Chief of Staff
Office: 714-347-8408
Cell: 714-292-2718