A 58-year-old woman suspected of recording a series of mechanics liens on properties in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills and Riverside County, some as high as $24.6 million, pleaded not guilty Monday to more than two dozen felony charges.
Rita Ortiz was arrested Thursday following an investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department’s Commercial Crimes Division Real Estate Fraud Unit into a series of recorded mechanic liens reported to be fraudulent.
She was charged the following day with 25 counts of procuring and offering a false or forged instrument, according to the District Attorney’s Office. The charges included a special allegation of aggravated white collar crime causing a loss of more than $500,000.
Ortiz pleaded not guilty at her arraignment Monday. She is due back in court March 12 in downtown Los Angeles.
Ortiz was being held in lieu of $700,000 bail, according to jail records.
The mechanical liens listed excessive amounts of funds for services rendered by Ortiz Consulting LLC, consisting of cleaning or consulting services, police said.
Ortiz allegedly controlled the company and recorded the falsified liens, police said.
“Multiple victims’ properties have been affected in Los Angeles, with additional victims and affected properties in the city of Beverly Hills and Riverside County,” police said in a statement.
ABC7 reported earlier that Ortiz targeted a series of homes on Benedict Canyon Drive in Beverly Hills.
Detectives said Ortiz claimed to be a real estate consultant and business coach specializing in property sales, investment properties, home leasing, short sales, and loan modifications.
Oritz is believed to have possibly offered services to unsuspecting victims through a nonprofit organization called “Make Your Dreams Come True” and is not licensed by the Department of Real Estate to act or perform any real estate service, police said.
Anyone with information regarding the case was urged to contact the Commercial Crimes Division at 213-486-6620 between 6 a.m. and 3 p.m. Calls made during non-business hours should be directed to 877-527-3247. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or visit lacrimestoppers.org.