Another twist to the foreclosure mess
James Anthony Rojas
As if the housing market wasn't fraught with enough drama these days, I ran across this story yesterday. If it's true, it's a pretty dastardly way to make a buck.
SAN FERNANDO - James Anthony Rojas' attempts to cash in on the foreclosure market ran him afoul of the law, police said Wednesday.
The 50-year-old investor will appear in court Monday on charges stemming from his Sept. 28 arrest by the San Fernando Police Deparment on suspicion of forgery.
Investigators suspect Rojas, using the business name Victoria Holdings, finds people facing foreclosure on their homes, uses bogus documents to get them to sign their deeds over to him and then uses their homes to secure loans.
Detectives believe the scheme dates back at least four years, affecting more than 15 people in the San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys.
Rojas, who's accused of using the alias Jose Hernandez and the business name Tri-Star Investment Co., received probation four years ago in a grand theft case.
"People pour their lives' work into a home," Lt. Tony Ruelas said. "For one reason or another, they're getting foreclosed on, and he just preys on them. That's the lowest form of crime you can do."
KTTV (Channel 11) profiled Rojas in a recent investigative piece in which he blamed a former employee for the discrepancies and denied any wrongdoing.
Anyone with information about the case can call the San Fernando Police Department at (818) 898-1267.