LA Sheriff: Scammer Used Forged Deeds, Phony Mechanics Liens On 100+ Properties To Snatch Surplus Cash From F'closure Sales, Fraudulently Score Secured Loans, Squeeze 'Shake Down' Cash From F'closing Lenders; Suspect Held On $1.24M Bail

From the Office of the Los Angeles County Sheriff:

• A 36 count felony complaint against 30-year old Anna Moskovyan of Van Nuys was filed by the Los Angeles County County District Attorney's Office on March 21, 2013. The complaint alleges multiple counts of Grand Theft, and the Recording of False and Fraudulent Documents related to over 100 properties in Los Angeles County and beyond.
  
  On March 28, 2013, detectives from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Commercial Crimes Bureau arrested Suspect Moskovyan when she appeared at Glendale Court on an unrelated matter.
  
  It is alleged that between April 2010, and June 2012, Moskovyan committed numerous sophisticated fraudulent acts of various types throughout Los Angeles County. Those fraudulent acts allegedly included the following:
  
  1. Moskovyan identified real estate properties that were scheduled for tax lien sales by the Los Angeles County Treasurer and Tax Collector’s Office. Moskovyan then recorded forged Grant Deeds at the Los Angeles County Recorder’s Office transferring ownership of the properties from the rightful owners to herself. She then filed claims to receive the “excess proceeds” from the tax lien sales. In other words, she fraudulently claimed the rights to receive the money left over after a property is sold and the tax liens were paid off.
  
  2. Moskovyan recorded dozens of phony Mechanic’s Liens, for painting work which was never done, on the titles of real estate properties which were in foreclosure. Several financial institutions paid Moskovyan to remove the fraudulent Mechanics Liens in order to clear the titles so the properties could be foreclosed upon and resold.
  
  3. Moskovyan fraudulently transferred the ownership of two real estate properties to herself by recording forged Grant Deeds. She then applied for, and received, loans using the fraudulently obtained properties as collateral.
  
  Moskovyan’s alleged activities, which netted her approximately $100,000, came to light when several of the property owners and their families filed complaints with the Los Angeles County Department of Consumer Affairs.
  
  The investigation was conducted by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Real Estate Fraud Team, the Los Angeles County Department of Consumer Affairs, and the Los Angeles Police Department.
  
  Mechanic Liens were recorded on properties in Altadena, Canoga Park, Canyon Country, Cerritos, Diamond Bar, Downey, Hacienda Heights, La Canada, La Mirada, La Puente, Lakewood, North Hollywood, North Hills, Northridge, Monterey Park, Valencia and Valley Village.
  
  The forged Grand Deeds were recorded on properties in Compton and South Los Angeles.
  
  Search warrants were executed at Suspect Moskovyan’s office in Glendale and her residence in North Hollywood which produced allegedly certified copies of the forged Grant Deeds and forged Mechanic’s Liens she had allegedly fraudulently recorded at the Los Angeles County Recorder’s Office.
  
  Suspect Moskovyan is currently in custody with a bail of $1.24 million. The next court date is April 16, 2013. Los Angeles Superior Court case number BA409181.

For the Los Angeles County Sheriff's press release, see Arrest Made in Sophisticated Real Estate Fraud of 100 Properties in Los Angeles County.