Tag: Real Estate

HOLLYWOOD—On March 24, 2026, the Los Angeles Police Department revealed that on March 19 the Commercial Crimes Division – Real Estate Fraud Unit, in partnership with the Eurasian Organized Crime Task Force—which includes agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations, and Glendale Police Department—carried out Operation Hard Money, leading to the arrest of 11 suspects involved in a complex mortgage fraud scheme.

The LAPD started the investigation in 2022, stemming from a $5.7 million fraudulent loan in which the suspects stole the victim’s personal information, created fraudulent accounts in the victim’s name, fabricated documents, impersonated the victim, and forged the victim’s signature. Investigators later identified two additional victims of the same mortgage fraud scheme and uncovered additional mortgage loans totaling $17 million linked to the same group of suspects.

On February 5, 2026, the United States Attorney’s Office obtained a 15-count federal indictment on charges that include wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, money laundering, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, leading to Operation Hard Money and the arrests of:

· Nazaret Chakrian, 65, of Hollywood

· Arnold Moradians, 57, of Hollywood

· Avetis Hekimyan, 38, of North Hollywood

· Marine Sarkisian, 49, of Hollywood

· Victor Lossi, 43, of Thousand Oaks

· Cynthia Borjas, 51, of Koreatown

· Armen Vardevaryan, 55, of North Hollywood

· Ross Tarkhan, 32, of Glendale

· Craig Higson, 66, of Naples, Florida

· Helen Spangler, 62, of Oakdale

· Tigran Hovanesian, 56, of Glendale

Common elements of the fraud scheme include victims who are all over 70 years old, own multiple properties outright with no mortgages, debts, liens, or encumbrances.

The Real Estate Fraud Unit believes there may be additional victims of this scheme and are asking anyone with details regarding this investigation to call Commercial Crimes Division at (213) 486-6620 between 6 a.m. and 3 p.m. During non-business hours or weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (877-527-3247).

Anyone wanting to remain anonymous should call the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477) or go directly to www.lacrimestoppers.org.

 

By Danny Jones

BEVERLY HILLS—On February 26, the Los Angeles Police Department announced that the Commercial Crimes Division’s (CCD) Real Estate Fraud Unit, arrested Rita Ortiz, 58, of Los Angeles, for a violation of California Penal Code (PC) 115(A) – Filing a False Document.

The LAPD reported that beginning in 2025, detectives assigned to the CCD Real Estate Fraud Unit began investigating a series of recorded mechanics liens on several properties within Los Angeles that were reported to be false or fraudulent.

The mechanical liens recorded on property titles listed extraordinary amounts, some as high as $24,640,000 for services rendered by Ortiz Consulting LLC for cleaning or consulting services. The investigation identified Ortiz as the person controlling Ortiz Consulting LLC and as the one who recorded the fraudulent liens. Multiple victims’ properties have been affected in Los Angeles, with additional victims and affected properties in the city of Beverly Hills and Riverside County.

Ortiz purports to be a Real Estate Consultant and business coach who specializes in property sales, investment properties, home leasing, short sales, and loan modifications. It is believed that Ortiz offered “services” to unsuspecting victims through a non-profit organization named “Make Your Dreams Come True.” She is not licensed by the Department of Real Estate to perform any real estate services.

Rita was charged by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office in case 26CJCF01311 with 25 felony counts of knowingly causing a false instrument to be recorded in a public office. It is further alleged that Ortiz engaged in a pattern of fraudulent conduct resulting in losses of over $500,000.

The instruments recorded at the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder’s Office consist of 24 “Claim of Mechanics Lien” and one “Grant Deed” filed against 10 properties. The liens falsely claim that Ortiz is owed payments in amounts ranging from $800,000 to over $98 million.

Ortiz was arraigned on March 2 and pleaded not guilty. Her bail was set by the Court at $700,000. A preliminary hearing is set for March 12 in Department 31 of the Foltz Criminal Justice Center. She faces 24 years in state prison if convicted as charged.

The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with details should call the Commercial Crimes Division at (213) 486-6620 between 6 a.m. and 3 p.m. During non-business hours or weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (877-527-3247). Anyone wanting to remain anonymous should call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477). Tipsters may contact Crime Stoppers by texting to phone number 274637 (C-R-I-M-E-S on most keypads) with a cell phone.

 

By Danny Jones

BEVERLY HILLS—People have seen the actor Cary Grant in films such as “North by Northwest”, “His Girl Friday”, “To Catch a Thief”, “Notorious”, and “Charade”. Now, his Beverly Hills mansion, which he bought in 1946, and which spans 15,700 square feet and is spread over three acres, is for sale and can be purchased for $77.5 million.

Cary Grant was in the process of rebuilding this property when he met Barbara Harris, who would become his fifth wife. After they married, she moved there and following his death in 1986, she inherited the property from him and 15 years later, she took a new husband when she married David Jaynes, a real estate investor, and the couple further renovated the house and completed the process of doing so in 2022. They are now selling it so they can move into a smaller house.

This property has 13 bathrooms. six-bedrooms and comes with a gym, a pool and sliding glass doors.

By Daniel Diquinzio

BEVERLY HILLS—In 1939, Ann Rutherford played Carreen O’Hara, one of Scarlett O’Hara’s sisters in the movie “Gone with the Wind”, and now her mansion in Beverly Hills which she and her husband called Greenway Chapel, is for sale. For years, the actress, who died in 2012, was married to the television producer William Dozier, who produced the 1960s TV show The Green Hornet and the 1960s Batman TV show.

Ann Rutherford’s mansion was built in 1938, and it was designed by the architect Paul R. Williams in the French revival style. It spans 13,678 square feet. It contains five bedrooms, and eleven bathrooms, which includes two partial bathrooms and nine full bathrooms, and it occupies over half an acre. Also, it contains a pool. The mansion is being sold by Jacob Dadon who works for Sotheby’s International Realty and this mansion can be purchased for $42M.

By Daniel Diquinzio

BEL AIR—Actress, singer and dancer Jennifer Lopez has sold her Bel Air property for more than $34 million, TMZ first reported on Monday, October 23. The actress first listed the property in February 2023 for over $42.5 million.  Lopez purchased the property back in 2016 for $28 million.

The home has a total of 9 bedrooms, 13 bathrooms, a guest house, a gym, an infinity pool, an amphitheater that seats over 100 people and a screening room that seats 30 people.

The agent with the listing on Lopez’s Bel Air property was Brett Lawyer from Carolwood Estates. Jennifer Lopez recently purchased a home in Beverly Hills for $60 million with husband, actor Ben Affleck. The couple married back in the summer of 2022.

The actress got her start as a ‘Fly Girl’ dancer on the sketch comedy series “In Living Color” in 1991. She has starred in the films “Selena,” “Anaconda,” “The Cell,” “Hustlers” and recently the Netflix action-thriller, “The Mother.”

She has released a total of 8 solo albums during her music career including the singles, “If You Had My Love,” “Waiting for Tonight,” “I’m Real,” “Love Don’t Cost a Thing,” “Jenny from the Block” and “All I Have.” She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2013.

By Trevor