07
May
May
Voodoo not strong enough to prevent convictions in real estate fraud
The owners of Downey Motorcars and Coast to Coast Mortgage were convicted of multiple counts of grand theft and filing false applications.
Ruben Hernandez, 34, and Joe Rodriguez, 44, now face up to 13 and 14 years in prison, respectively. Both men bought properties using phony social security cards and bank statements.
When law enforcement entered the home where Hernandez was living, they found a voodoo shrine with the names of the investigators and prosecutor and voodoo dolls with pins stuck in the eyes, face-down in cups of water.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Lance Ito of OJ Simpson fame was the judge hearing the case.
Read the full article in the Long Beach Press Telegram and the Downey Patriot.
