By Matt Drange/The Times-Standard
04/19/2011
A Fortuna real estate agent was out of custody Monday after an investigation by the Humboldt County District Attorney's Office into her business practices resulted in her arrest last week.
Delores Reeves, 55, faces charges of grand theft by means of fiduciary trust, grand theft by means of an assumed character, elder abuse, identity theft and fraud, according to a press release from the district attorney's office. Reeves most recently worked for iServe Residential Lending and also owns Kozy Korner Gifts in Fortuna.
On March 17, the Fortuna Police Department received a report alleging that Reeves used fraudulent deeds of trust in order to mislead investors into believing their principal was secure, according to the release, and then kept the money for personal use.
Humboldt County District Attorney's Office Investigator William Honsal said he began investigating Reeves shortly after that, collecting evidence from the reported victim in the case -- a 71-year-old woman.
”Essentially it's a Ponzi scheme. She was taking money from others and creating fictitious assets,” Honsal said. “She had so many loans out that at one point she had collateral on property that she owned. It turned out that she was in over her head, and she couldn't dig out of the hole without stealing.”
Reeves appeared to have forged loan documents to distort the value of real estate, Honsal said, adding that at this point Reeves is believed to have stolen between $300,000 and $400,000.
Last Friday, DA investigators and FPD officers served a pair of search warrants on Reeves and arrested her at her place of business on Main Street in Fortuna around 4 p.m.
The key to the case, Honsal said, came when Reeves failed to pay her debts on time, raising suspicion with the victim.
While Reeves waits to be arraigned on the charges, Honsal said, the most important thing now is for people to call him.
Phone calls to Reeves were not returned by the Times-Standard's deadline.
”We know that there are identity theft victims out there,” Honsal said. “The biggest thing is that people who think they might be victims give me a call.”
SOURCE: The Times Standard
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