On November 4, 2011, Judge Stotler sentenced Coto de Caza financial planner Hitomi Tsuyuki to 18 years jail after the defendant had pled guilty to nearly 30 felony counts relating to theft and elder fraud. The defendant stole $2.8 million in a white-collar fraud scheme from 33 clients. Tsuyuki met most of his clients through the church where his father is a minister and targeted vulnerable individuals such as the elderly or recent widows. Tsuyuki convinced his victims to invest in a fake bond scheme and kept the money for himself, spending it on personal luxuries including his own home in Coto de Caza, a vacation property, golf membership and cars. Deputy District Attorney Yvette Patko believes that only 5 to 10% of the stolen money could be returned to the victims.
With the passing of AB109, Tsukuyi will be spending his 18 years in county jail as opposed to state prison. The new sentencing law, knows as the Realignment, mandates that certain imprisonment on certain types of felonies will be served in the county jail as opposed to the state prison.
For more information on AB109 or white collar fraud, please visit our website at www.rightchoicelaw.com.