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The case was investigated and prosecuted jointly by the Attorney General's Office and the office of Alameda County District Attorney Nancy E. O'Malley.
The California Department of Real Estate and the Fremont Police Department assisted in the investigation.
“Protecting innocent homeowners from the empty promises by predators like Angeline Lizarrago is a top priority of my office,” Attorney General Harris said. “Those who take advantage of Californians facing foreclosure are not only breaking the law, they also are slowing California's recovery from the economic recession. I am grateful to District Attorney O'Malley and other law enforcement leaders who have made a commitment to investigate and prosecute those who commit these crimes.”
Lizarrago was sentenced on Wednesday in Alameda County Superior Court to five years and ordered to pay more than $31,000 in restitution to nine victims of her foreclosure scam.
Two additional victims are seeking additional restitution; a restitution hearing was set for February 2012 to address their claims.
In September 2010, the Attorney General's Office and the Alameda County District Attorney's Office charged Lizarrago with 23 counts of felony fraud and theft committed at her Fremont business, Avemos Financial Group.
The charges against Lizarrago and her co-defendant, Michael Douglas Young, 68, of Los Gatos, were based on 11 cases of fraud and theft totaling more than $50,000.
“The Alameda County DA's office will remain highly vigilant in our effort to identify and prosecute people who prey upon distressed homeowners in these difficult economic times,” said District Attorney Nancy E. O'Malley. “We applaud the joint efforts of the California Department of Real Estate, the Fremont Police Department, the California Attorney General and the Alameda County District Attorney's office that brought defendant Lizarrago to justice.”
From June 2008 to October 2009, Lizarrago, owner of Avemos, and Young, the general manager, targeted Spanish-speaking homeowners, as well as Southeast Asian immigrants, who were desperate to save their homes.
Victims of the scam were located throughout the Bay Area, including San Leandro, Hayward, Oakland, South San Francisco, and Fremont. There also were a substantial number of victims from the Central Valley.
People stood in line for hours to get into Avemos's waiting room, which was decorated with shrines to the Virgin Mary. Clients seeking help typically paid $1,500 initially. Lizarrago promised she would take steps to stop banks from foreclosing on clients' homes and renegotiate their loans to lower monthly loan payments and reflect their homes' current market value. Lizarrago guaranteed a refund if they were unsuccessful. Many clients lost their homes in foreclosure and did not receive a refund.
Lizarrago also took advantage of the foreclosure crisis in another way. She told an 89-year-old man and his wife, who wanted to move away from Stockton, that she owned 51 properties, many of which had been foreclosed upon, and she could find them a home in Fremont. She asked for an up-front fee, which she promised to return with interest once the purchase was made. In a series of payments, the couple gave Lizarrago $25,000. She never found them a home, nor returned their money.
Lizarrago was on bail from Madera County at the time she committed the offense and she has a prior felony conviction for grand theft. Young, who pleaded not guilty to the felony charges, is scheduled for jury trial on Jan. 23, 2012.
Attorney General Harris formed a Mortgage Fraud Strike Force in May 2010 to investigate and prosecute mortgage fraud. In August, the Strike Force filed its first suit against a law firm that took millions from desperate homeowners.
For tips on how to avoid mortgage fraud and other resources, and to report fraud or file a complaint, visit http://oag.ca.gov/consumers/loan-modification.
The investigation into further criminal actions by Lizarrago and Young is ongoing; to share information about the Avemos Group or the defendants, please call the Alameda County District Attorney's Office at 877-288-2882.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – Lake One-Stop Inc. recently hosted Lake County’s first subsidized Building Professional Institute “building analyst” training workshops last week, Nov. 14-18, at the Lakeport One-Stop.
Twelve local contractors, education instructors, business owners and entrepreneurs learned how to do comprehensive whole-house energy-efficiency assessments as part of the week long training.
Participants included Jonas Heating and Air, Fresh Energy Systems, Rowser Construction, Devalle Construction, John Grunier, Fosco Green Point, Tri County Solar, Habitat for Humanity, Draft Busters and A.C.E.S.
Thanks to a subsidy, cost for this training was only $65, instead of the usual $1,800.
The program was brought to Lake County with assistance from Energy Upgrade California, The Conservation Services Group, Renewable Energy Development Institute (REDI) and instructed by Mark Crumpton (Conservation Services Group).
“This is an amazing opportunity for this group to tap into the Energy Upgrade California program, and put more people to work,” said Lake One-Stop Inc. Executive Director Seth DeSimone.
Contractors need this certification to become a participating contractor with the Energy Upgrade California program, which offers homeowners more than $4,000 in rebates for energy-efficient home improvements.
Energy-efficiency upgrades are becoming big business right now in California, with a multitude of substantial rebates, incentives and subsidy programs available to homeowners and to renters, too.
Some of the programs are income or age-qualified available to lower-income or senior residents only and some are available to all income levels.
“We have something for everyone,” said REDI's Terry Phenicie. “It might be just a $200 rebate or it might be $4,000 in incentives; it might be a grant; it could very well be a link to a lender for a highly subsidized solar program.”
Energy Upgrade California offers incentives for air sealing, attic insulation, duct sealing, low-flow showerheads, high-efficiency furnaces, energy-efficient cooling systems and water heaters, dual pane energy-efficient windows and more.
Not only are these programs a great deal for residents, they are a form of economic stimulus for the Country, Phenicie said.
“We're bringing monies back to the county through these programs. When residents save money on their utility bills, they can spend it on other goods and services,” Phenicie said. “Upgrading the energy efficiency of homes improves their value. Also, the training is giving local contractors a new skill set.”
Contractors certified to do energy upgrades will be buying equipment and materials from local outlets, also helping with the local economy.
To learn more about these energy-efficiency programs and many others visit www.energyupgradeca.org and www.redinet.org.
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CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Lake One-Stop and the Employment Development Department sponsored a job fair at the American Legion Hall in Clearlake on Tuesday Nov. 8.
Fourteen businesses attended, looking to hire for more than 25 positions.
More than 150 job seekers attended, dressed for success and ready to meet perspective employers.
“This job fair was great,” said WestAmerica Bank recruiter Jackie Nunez-Smith. “We gathered about 15 resumes with at least five strong candidates. It was a quick and simple way to screen many candidates and I hope we have the opportunity to do this again.”
Deon Lax from H&R Block said, “We came to start off our hiring process for our upcoming tax season. This was a great turnout. We found some great potential employees.”
Many other employers also had positive comments about the success of the job fair and turnout.
Several jobseekers said they also were glad the Lake One Stop and EDD were hosting another job fair in Clearlake and they felt hope for gaining employment.
“So many people came dressed for success and well prepared, I think employers had a lot of great people to meet,” said Debra Walker, Lake One-Stop business development specialist.
To be notified of future job fairs please call Lake One-Stop at 707-263-0630 and asked to be added to the job fair list.
The Lakeport One-Stop includes the Employment Development Department, California Human Development, Goodwill Industries, Experience Works, Department of Rehabilitation as well as Lake One-Stop Inc., the Workforce Investment Act program funded by the Napa/Lake Workforce Investment Board.
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Under the recall, all Organic Pastures raw dairy products with the exception of cheese aged a minimum of 60 days are to be pulled immediately from retail shelves and consumers are strongly urged to dispose of any products remaining in their refrigerators.
Until further notice, Organic Pastures may not produce raw milk products for the retail market.
The order also affects Organic Pastures raw butter, raw cream, raw colostrum, and a raw product labeled “Qephor.”
The quarantine order came following a notification from the California Department of Public Health of a cluster of five children who were infected, from August through October, with the same strain of E. coli O157:H7.
These children are residents of Contra Costa, Kings, Sacramento and San Diego counties, the state reported.
Interviews with the families indicate that the only common reported food exposure is unpasteurized (raw) milk from Organic Pastures dairy.
Three of the five children were hospitalized with hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious condition that may lead to kidney failure. There have been no deaths.
Surveys indicate that only about three percent of the public report drinking raw milk in any given week so finding 100 percent of these children drank raw milk and the absence of other common foods or animal exposures indicates the Organic Pastures raw milk is the likely source of their infection.
While laboratory samples of Organic Pastures raw milk have not detected E. coli 0157:H7 contamination, epidemiologic data collected by the California Department of Public Health link the illnesses with Organic Pastures raw milk.
The great majority of milk consumed in California is pasteurized. Raw milk is not pasteurized. Pasteurization is a process that kills harmful bacteria.
In California, state law requires that raw milk and raw milk products shall bear the following warning on the label: "Warning - raw (unpasteurized) milk and raw milk dairy products may contain disease-causing micro-organisms.
Persons at highest risk of disease from these organisms include newborns and infants; the elderly; pregnant women; those taking corticosteroids, antibiotics or antacids; and those having chronic illnesses or other conditions that weaken their immunity."
Symptoms of E. coli O157:H7 infection may include abdominal cramps and diarrhea which is often bloody. Most infected people recover within a week; however, some may develop complications that require hospitalization.
Young children and the elderly are at highest risk for a potentially life-threatening complication known as hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which includes kidney failure.
People who develop symptoms of E. coli O157:H7 infection after consuming unpasteurized milk or milk products should consult their health care provider.
Physicians who have patients suspected of having HUS or E. coli O157:H7 infections should report them to the local health department.
CDFA milk and dairy foods safety experts have begun a complete inspection at Organic Pastures dairy - of all facets of operations, from the cows to the bottling plant.
Before the quarantine may be lifted, the facility must meet all sanitation requirements under state law. Additionally, raw milk products will be tested to ensure compliance with regulatory standards.