The ex-president of a Huntington Beach escrow company has agreed to plead guilty to embezzling $3.9 million from 23 California cities — including 5 in Orange County. Among the cities that lost money: Seal Beach, San Juan Capistrano, Fullerton, Buena Park and Westminster.
Belinda Exon, 55, who now lives in Phoenix, Arizona, admitted that she embezzled the money held in escrow by her onetime company, Rehab Financial Services, Inc., according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.
Rehab Financial, no longer in business, was an escrow and loan servicing agent that administered grant money and loans to California cities. The funds came from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development for programs to fix health and safety hazards in low-income housing, and to pay for upgrades to meet building codes.
Exon used the money held in escrow to buy properties and land in Arizona, as well as finance two companies she owned, prosecutors say.
She agreed to plead guilty to one count of embezzling money from organizations that receive federal funds, a felony carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
Under the plea agreement, she would receive a maximum prison term of just under 4 years, and be required to forfeit the properties she bought with the embezzled money and make full restitution to the cities.
She is scheduled to make her initial appearance in federal court on June 7.
What O.C. cities lost:
Seal Beach – $ 481,432
Westminster – $ 223,392
Buena Park – $162,563
Fullerton – $66,453
San Juan Capistrano – $2,055
What other cities lost:
San Francisco – $1,021,000
Pomona – $ 751,000
Huntington Park – $ 478,000
Rosemead – $128,328
Montebello – $125,000
Apple Valley – $95,452
Camarillo – $91,975
Perris – $66,000
Bellflower – $59,140
Calamesa – $42,257
Santa Cruz – $34,784
Encinitas – $29,524
Santa Monica – $26,029
Hollister – $22,195
West Covina – $10,000
Rialto – $8,791
South Gate – $7,603
Hemet – $3,000
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