Angela Esparza Pleads Guilty to Condominium Homeowners Association Scheme
In a stunning development, Angela Esparza, a 24-year-old Las Vegas woman, pleaded guilty to her role in a scheme to fraudulently gain control of condominium homeowners’ associations (HOA) in the Las Vegas area. The scheme, which involved directing business to a certain law firm and construction company, has yielded its fifth guilty plea.
According to court documents, Esparza participated in the scheme from approximately July 2006 until February 2009. She admitted to using deceitful tactics, including creating false phone surveys to gather information about homeowners’ voting intentions, using mailing lists to vote on behalf of out-of-town homeowners, and submitting fake and forged ballots.
Esparza’s co-conspirators used straw purchasers to obtain mortgage loans for units within HOA communities. They also hired private investigators to find ‘dirt’ on bona fide candidates in order to create smear campaigns. Esparza created fake ballots and campaign flyers for co-conspirator candidates and assisted in mailing and tracking forged ballots for out-of-town homeowners.
The scheme involved manipulating board votes and using deceitful tactics to win elections. Once elected, the co-conspirator board members would meet with other co-conspirators to manipulate board votes, further perpetuating the scheme.
Angela Esparza, Defendant, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud in the District of Nevada. Esparza’s guilty plea marks the fifth person to plead guilty in connection with the scheme to defraud HOAs in the Las Vegas area.
Esparza’s sentencing is pending. The case was investigated by the FBI Las Vegas Field Office, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, and the IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).
Related Federal Cases
Key Facts
- State: Federal
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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