By KAREN VELIE Federal bankruptcy court attorneys plan to ask for a portion of proceeds of a proposed Indian casino to be available to reimburse creditors of bankrupt North County developer Kelly Gearhart. In June, Ohio Federal Bankruptcy Trustee Harold A. Corzin... (Continue reading)
By KAREN VELIE Federal bankruptcy court attorneys filed a fraud complaint against attorney Robert “Grigger” Jones, as well as Chris Molina, Daniel Phillips, and the group’s Pejihota LLC for allegedly hiding assets of bankrupt North County developer Kelly Gearhart. Gearhart linked up... (Continue reading)
By KAREN VELIE As developer Kelly Gearhart worked to build more than 400 new homes in the Atascadero area, city inspectors and others were apparently looking the other way, allowing Gearhart to avoid paying city fees due to falsified and unfinished... (Continue reading)
By KAREN VELIE Several investors in Hurst Financial Inc’s (HFI) hard money lending schemes thrust HFI President Jay Miller into involuntary Chapter 7 bankruptcy citing Miller’s failure to repay loans he personally guaranteed. Before their meltdown a little more than a year... (Continue reading)
By KAREN VELIE Investors have filed a lawsuit alleging Stewart Title and Heritage Oaks Bank (HOB) aided and abetted and/or conspired with Hurst Financial Inc. (HFI) in defrauding hundreds of seniors through illegal investment schemes. The suit filed by more than 300... (Continue reading)
By KAREN VELIE The FBI seized proceeds from Hurst Financial Inc. (HFI) President Jay Miller’s home May 27 because of allegations of racketeering, money laundering, and wire fraud, according to the seizure warrant. “A racket is an illegal business, usually run as... (Continue reading)
By KAREN VELIE Bankruptcy trustees have seized a collectable car and are looking into allegations ex-North county developer Kelly Gearhart and his wife, Tamara Lowe, have hidden assets during their high profile bankruptcy. Bankruptcy trustees seized a yellow 1935 Packard Gearhart and... (Continue reading)
By KAREN VELIE and DANIEL BLACKBURN A secret, decade-long, eight-phase strategy by a group of local investors – including one notorious individual now under investigation for fraud – outlines plans for construction of a Indian gaming casino in San Luis Obispo... (Continue reading)
By KAREN VELIE and DANIEL BLACKBURN Heritage Oaks Bank is battling with Estate Financial Inc. and Hurst Financial investors over first place in the quest for financial compensation. Attorneys for the bank are chasing first position in the pursuit for assets of... (Continue reading)
By KAREN VELIE Kelly Gearhart, a North County developer with ties to hard money lender Hurst Financial, has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection in Ohio. Gearhart and his wife, Tamara Lowe, filed the bankruptcy petition on Wednesday, stating $6.5 million in... (Continue reading)