After repaying Lompoc victims, Gina Lee and Anthony Lee Davis ordered to stay away from clairvoyant businesses as Los Angeles couple seeks restitution for similar allegations
By Janene Scully
Noozhawk North County Editor
@JaneneScully
August 12, 2016
A husband and wife accused of defrauding customers in a Lompoc psychic scam were sentenced to five years of probation and ordered not to work in clairvoyant careers during that time as alleged victims from a Los Angeles County case watched on Friday.
Sentencing of Gina Lucyfenia Lee and Anthony Lee Davis, both 29 years old when they were arrested, occurred in Santa Barbara County Superior Court in Lompoc after the pair paid back more than $244,000 to a pair of victims linked to the Lompoc case.
Before the sentencing that came as part of an April agreement in which they pleaded guilty, Judge Rogelio Flores denied a motion to require the defendants to pay back a Los Angeles County couple who claim they fell prey to the pair’s fraudulent operation.
“I’m really in a quandary here,” Flores said before speaking directly to Michael and Barbara Basura of Santa Clarita.
But the judge said he had no jurisdiction over the Los Angeles County case, for which the defendants were never charged criminally..
The Basuras did receive a default judgment in a civil lawsuit after the defendants failed to show up in court.
“My heart aches for what happened to both of you,” Flores told the Basuras, adding that he would make sure their attorney had the defendants’ address, which must be on file with the Probation Department.
The Basuras' attorney, Rachel Tessa Gezerseh, said they gave the defendants money from their retirement funds in a case in which the conduct was very similar to the Santa Barbara County incidents.
Lee allegedly convinced the Basuras to give over $200,000, telling them it would be "cleansed" of evil spirits and returned, Gezerseh said.
“Suffice it to say, they never gave that money back, and my clients lost everything,” Gezerseh said.
“We would take payments, we would take anything, just for justice here,” she added.
While restricted from requiring restitution in the Basuras case, Flores told the defendants he would not consider early termination of probation unless Lee and Davis had paid restitution to the Basuras.
After providing $137,900 in cash during a prior court hearing, the defendants provided three additional cashier’s checks totaling $93,300. They also agreed to pay $711 to one of the victims in the Lompoc case.
Lee was represented by Alan Eisner, who also stood in during Friday’s hearing for Davis’s attorney, Jay Jaffe, who was sick.
Eisner asked the judge to drop the probation condition banning the defendants from working in careers related to clairvoyance, saying it’s broad and unrelated to psychic services.
But Supervising Deputy District Attorney Stephen Foley urged that the ban remain.
“I think if one uses their profession in order to defraud people of over $200,000, then I agree a reasonable term and condition is they not engage in that profession,” Foley said, adding the same condition would apply in real estate or other fraud cases.
In addition to the Los Angeles and Lompoc cases, an arrest report from Utah cited similar conduct involving Lee, Foley said.
“I think it’s appropriate and I’m not going to budge that that,” Flores said ordering them not to participate in clairvoyance careers while they are on formal probation.
“If I get wind you’re doing this again, odds are I’m going to put you in prison,” he said. “You’ve got five years to straighten out in this manner.”
Before he will consider early termination of probation, the judge said, he “strongly urged” the pair to pay restitution to the Basuras.
While disappointed that full restitution wasn’t ordered, Gezerseh said she liked that the judge won’t consider early termination of probation unless the Basuras receive their money.
She added they plan to “be very aggressive about moving forward” getting restitution for the Basuras from Lee and Davis.
"They will come to know my name,” Gezerseh said outside the courtroom.
Michael Basura said it’s a shame people can commit fraud for income.
“It’s been a long road for us,” he added.
The defendants operated Life Coach Psychic in Lompoc, and both victims in the Santa Barbara County case were clients of the business that operated at 1005 E. Ocean Ave., Lompoc police said, adding the incidents occurred in late 2015.
Today, signs for the business are gone, but a behemoth Buddha statue sits in front, creating a dilemma, Foley said, since neither property owner nor victims want it.
“But the money used to buy that Buddha statue was stolen money, was the victim’s money,” Foley said.
“So if you know anybody who wants to buy that Buddha statue, that money could be used to recoup the (Santa Barbara County) victims’ losses.”
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
https://www.noozhawk.com/article/lompoc_pair_sentenced_to_5_years_probation_for_operating_psychic_scam
By Janene Scully
Noozhawk North County Editor
@JaneneScully
August 12, 2016
A husband and wife accused of defrauding customers in a Lompoc psychic scam were sentenced to five years of probation and ordered not to work in clairvoyant careers during that time as alleged victims from a Los Angeles County case watched on Friday.
Sentencing of Gina Lucyfenia Lee and Anthony Lee Davis, both 29 years old when they were arrested, occurred in Santa Barbara County Superior Court in Lompoc after the pair paid back more than $244,000 to a pair of victims linked to the Lompoc case.
Before the sentencing that came as part of an April agreement in which they pleaded guilty, Judge Rogelio Flores denied a motion to require the defendants to pay back a Los Angeles County couple who claim they fell prey to the pair’s fraudulent operation.
“I’m really in a quandary here,” Flores said before speaking directly to Michael and Barbara Basura of Santa Clarita.
But the judge said he had no jurisdiction over the Los Angeles County case, for which the defendants were never charged criminally..
The Basuras did receive a default judgment in a civil lawsuit after the defendants failed to show up in court.
“My heart aches for what happened to both of you,” Flores told the Basuras, adding that he would make sure their attorney had the defendants’ address, which must be on file with the Probation Department.
The Basuras' attorney, Rachel Tessa Gezerseh, said they gave the defendants money from their retirement funds in a case in which the conduct was very similar to the Santa Barbara County incidents.
Lee allegedly convinced the Basuras to give over $200,000, telling them it would be "cleansed" of evil spirits and returned, Gezerseh said.
“Suffice it to say, they never gave that money back, and my clients lost everything,” Gezerseh said.
“We would take payments, we would take anything, just for justice here,” she added.
While restricted from requiring restitution in the Basuras case, Flores told the defendants he would not consider early termination of probation unless Lee and Davis had paid restitution to the Basuras.
After providing $137,900 in cash during a prior court hearing, the defendants provided three additional cashier’s checks totaling $93,300. They also agreed to pay $711 to one of the victims in the Lompoc case.
Lee was represented by Alan Eisner, who also stood in during Friday’s hearing for Davis’s attorney, Jay Jaffe, who was sick.
Eisner asked the judge to drop the probation condition banning the defendants from working in careers related to clairvoyance, saying it’s broad and unrelated to psychic services.
But Supervising Deputy District Attorney Stephen Foley urged that the ban remain.
“I think if one uses their profession in order to defraud people of over $200,000, then I agree a reasonable term and condition is they not engage in that profession,” Foley said, adding the same condition would apply in real estate or other fraud cases.
In addition to the Los Angeles and Lompoc cases, an arrest report from Utah cited similar conduct involving Lee, Foley said.
“I think it’s appropriate and I’m not going to budge that that,” Flores said ordering them not to participate in clairvoyance careers while they are on formal probation.
The defendants operated Life Coach Psychic in Lompoc, and both victims in the Santa Barbara County case were clients of the business that operated at 1005 E. Ocean Ave. |
“If I get wind you’re doing this again, odds are I’m going to put you in prison,” he said. “You’ve got five years to straighten out in this manner.”
Before he will consider early termination of probation, the judge said, he “strongly urged” the pair to pay restitution to the Basuras.
While disappointed that full restitution wasn’t ordered, Gezerseh said she liked that the judge won’t consider early termination of probation unless the Basuras receive their money.
She added they plan to “be very aggressive about moving forward” getting restitution for the Basuras from Lee and Davis.
"They will come to know my name,” Gezerseh said outside the courtroom.
Michael Basura said it’s a shame people can commit fraud for income.
“It’s been a long road for us,” he added.
The defendants operated Life Coach Psychic in Lompoc, and both victims in the Santa Barbara County case were clients of the business that operated at 1005 E. Ocean Ave., Lompoc police said, adding the incidents occurred in late 2015.
Today, signs for the business are gone, but a behemoth Buddha statue sits in front, creating a dilemma, Foley said, since neither property owner nor victims want it.
“But the money used to buy that Buddha statue was stolen money, was the victim’s money,” Foley said.
“So if you know anybody who wants to buy that Buddha statue, that money could be used to recoup the (Santa Barbara County) victims’ losses.”
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
https://www.noozhawk.com/article/lompoc_pair_sentenced_to_5_years_probation_for_operating_psychic_scam
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