Blair Christopher Hanloh, 50, Long Beach, California, was convicted of stealing over $3.5 million in a fraudulent scheme by falsely transferring residential property deeds and fraudulently renting out houses.
The defendant was convicted by a jury on October 30, 2013, of five felony counts of recording false and forged instruments. He faces a maximum sentence of five years and eight months in state prison at his sentencing Dec. 13, 2013, at 9:00 a.m. in Department C-40, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana, California.
Hanloh owned and operated as Blair Hanloh Trustee of Diversified Management Trust. He started this company to record quitclaim deeds to fraudulently transfer properties from himself to Diversified Management.
Prior to Feb. 1, 2010, Hanloh visited properties on Birch Tree Lane, Anaheim, California, and Sea Bright Drive, San Clemente, California, to assess whether they were vacant or mid-foreclosure. He did not own these homes. After a couple of weeks, Hanloh fraudulently took possession of the houses, drilled the locks, entered the homes, and then changed the locks.
On Feb. 1, 2010, Hanloh recorded two fraudulent quitclaim deeds on Birch Tree and Sea Bright Drive homes. He fixed up the homes and posted them for rent on Craigslist. He then rented out the properties to unsuspecting renters by having them sign a fraudulent lease agreement.
On March 5, 2010, Hanloh took possession of and recorded a fraudulent quitclaim deed on a property on Rainview Court, Anaheim. Hanloh then rented the property to a renter-family by having them sign a fraudulent lease agreement. Hanloh is accused of entering the home with the intent to commit larceny. The defendant was convicted for recording the fraudulent quitclaim deed and was charged with one felony count of commercial burglary, but the jury was deadlocked on that charge.
On March 11, 2010, Hanloh fraudulently took possession of two houses, one in foreclosure on Del Gado Road, Dana Point, California, and the other due to be sold at public auction on Avenida Valencia, San Clemente. He recorded fraudulent quitclaim deeds and placed a renter in the San Clemente property.
The Anaheim Police Department began investigating Hanloh after they received a call from the legal owner of the Rainview Court property about tenants in his home that he did not know and had not rented from him. Orange County District Attorney’s Investigators assisted in the investigation.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Pete Pierce of the Major Fraud Unit is prosecuting this case.
“I would like to congratulate Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas and his department on a job well done. Our office has been working closely with the District Attorney’s Real Estate Fraud Unit to find ways to prevent these crimes from happening in the future,” said Orange County Clerk-Recorder Hugh Nguyen.
