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Is San Luis Obispo attorney John Belsher using an alias?

December 30, 2024

By KAREN VELIE

In the latest drama regarding a $3.6 million judgement against San Luis Obispo attorney John Belsher, Belsher and his wife appear to be using aliases while living as husband and wife despite their legal separation.

In a scheme rife with fraud and deceit, Belsher bilked his clients out of millions of dollars while living a life of luxury. On May 23, Superior Court Judge Michael Kelley ordered Belsher and his partner Ryan Petetit-Wright to pay more than $3.6 million to Debra and Jeff Chase, a couple the pair defrauded of nearly $3 million they invested in four of the developers’ projects.

Three weeks after losing the court case, Jody Belsher filed a petition for legal separation from John Belsher noting irreconcilable differences, with her husband John Belsher representing her.

Even though the petition claims the couple separated on June 6, Jody Belsher posted a statement at the same time reporting she and her husband were moving together to a home they own in Michigan. However, it appears they both moved to Surprise, Arizona.

From June 6 through June 8, the couple hosted an “everything goes” estate sale at their home on El Cerrito Street in San Luis Obispo. The couple’s home was held in a trust. On Aug, 28, John Belsher signed a document disclaiming his interest in the trust, according to court records.

While John Belsher argues he is legally separated and no longer has a financial interest in their former home in San Luis Obispo, the Chases believe both the separation and the trust disclaimer are a sham to stop them from collecting the judgement.

Jody Belsher (AKA Jody Bernat), from a Pickleball player list in Arizona.

Steven Cable, a neighbor of John and Jody Belsher in Arizona, told CalCoastNews the Belshers introduce themselves as a married couple using the aliases Jon Bailey and Jody Bernat.

The couple also signed up for pickleball events using their aliases.

Under their PB Companies’ name, Belsher and Petetit-Wright borrowed money from banks and hard money lenders to fund more than a dozen projects they valued at over $300 million. Belsher also solicited his friends and clients to invest, a group that included the Chases.

On Nov. 12, a federal judge sentenced  Petetit-Wright to five years in federal prison for paying bribes to former San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Adam Hill in exchange for official acts in support of his and Belsher’s development projects.

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If I were a formerly good tennis player reduced to pickleball I would be using an alias too.


15

The Tribune played a big roll in the coverup. For years, CalCoastNews published information about the corruption and the Tribune reported how great Belsher and Petetit were doing while endorsing Adam Hill. The Trib reporters do not cover the news, while they primarily attack everything CalCoastNews does while supporting corruption. It is time to cancel your subscriptions, which will likely put the Trib out of misery.


32

Do not subscribe to The Tribune under any circumstances regardless of the offer. Read the fine print, you cannot cancel without going through a long phone process and two levels of approval including a phone call from McClatchy. It was easier for me to just cancel the card I used.


18

and cancel your subscription if you have one.


The attacks and outlandish conspiracy theories Cloe and Joan target at CCN, the central coasts only true news source, seemingly looks like an attempt to destroy the competition, repress important news.


7

Amen!


3

Looks to me like Belsher, the college educated lawyer staked Petetit, the high school graduate, out like a goat to take the fall when their house of cards tumbled.

Either Belsher is an FBI informant or the FBI went after low hanging fruit (Petetit) when their target (Hill) self deleted.

Either way I don’t think Belsher is going to jail, even though that’s where he belongs.


23

No repercussions from the state bar? Attorney #103088 is still active in California. How is that possible with the connection to fraud?


36

Going to have to go hang at pickleball courts in Surprise! These guys are scum


35

Why is it no surprise these two charlatans wound up in Surprise Az.


47

Hey Jon what’s up? “Oh, I ripped a bunch of people off for millions of dollars”


wow, so what happens now? “Oh, going to play pickle ball with the Misses”…


Unbelievable! Just unbelievable!


49

A license to steal comes to mind, as in justice for those who have allot of free money.


2

Why would anyone expect these folks to suddenly do things legally? Of course they are going to do anything they can to try and prevent paying money, prevent losing money, prevent anyone being able to lock them down and seize assets. This is who the guy is, I mean for God’s sake, look at what he did so blatantly to screw so many people out of money. He is profoundly dishonest to his core, so of course he will now do whatever slimy thing he can to go on with his life and you can almost be assured that he will scam more people out of money all over again. The bigger question I have is why he won’t be held accountable? It is dumbfounding how you can steal, lie, cheat, and defraud people and not be held accountable. It is so grossly immoral, and the continuing lies, and BS, it’s such an indictment of the failure of our justice system that a guy like this can simply walk away with only having to pay back money. No wonder there is so much white collar crime, the lack of punishment clearly makes it worth the risk.


69

Why isn’t anyone in the court or law enforcement going after them or at least extraditing them?


48

LE and judiciary are profoundly corrupt. Countless examples. Exceedingly few exceptions, and they are surrounded by and forced to protect the malicious and ignorant.


14

I don’t think I have ever heard a better description of Donald Trump in my entire life. Thank you.


-17

What absolute dirt bags these two are!


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