Used Car Dealer & Mortgage Broker Who Used Voodoo On Los Angeles Prosecutors Are Convicted

You can’t make these real estate headlines up folks. I never thought writing about homes & loans would be so entertaining or sometimes so down right sickening.

What do you get when you cross a used car dealer with a mortgage broker? The story below…

LOS ANGELES (LoanSafe.org) – A used car dealer and  mortgage broker who led authorities on a high speed chase and then later used Voodoo on prosecutors to influence the outcome of the case was convicted last week of real estate fraud.  Ruben Hernandez, 34, owner of Downey Motorcars, was found guilty last week on four counts of filing a false application and three counts of grand theft.

His partner in real estate crime, Joel Rodriguez, 44, owner of Coast to Coast Mortgage in Downey was also convicted of six counts of filing a false application and five counts of grand theft.

Hernandez faces a maximum prison term of 13 years and Rodriguez could be sentenced to a maximum term of 14 years, for months.

Los Angeles prosecutors said Hernandez bought six homes using fake Social Security cards and using false bank statements.  Rodriguez used fake social security numbers to purchase two properties, obtain home equity lines of credit and open a bank account.

In February of 2009, has Hernandez and his wife ife left their home, police moved in.  Hernandez, sped away and led investigators on a high speed, mile long pursuit that reached speeds in excess of 80 miles per hour.

Authorities later executed a search warrant on the home where Hernandez was residing, they soon discovered a Voodoo shrine, the prosecutor said.  The shrine included various artifacts and voodoo dolls dump head down in cups the water with pins in the eyes - featuring the names of the prosecutor, the investigators assigned to the case and the case number.