Law firm suspected of fraud

Authorities seized a local firm’s records, and at least one employee faces arrest after Costa Mesa detectives and Orange County district attorney fraud investigators served an Anton Boulevard business with a search warrant Wednesday.

Authorities searched Dinh & Associates PC, at 575 Anton Blvd., across the street from South Coast Plaza. Detectives and prosecuting investigators carried out boxes of files and electronics Wednesday morning as potential evidence in their criminal investigation.

Employees at the firm there likely conduct loan modification fraud, ripping off customers out of thousands of dollars, authorities said.

Officers were negotiating the surrender of at least one suspect, said Sgt. Frank Rudisill of the Costa Mesa Police Department.

According to a portion of the search warrant, which was visible at the property, police are investigating the following companies for possible fraud: the Gonzalez Law Group; Juan Jose Gonzalez; Laurel Capital Funding; Laurel Capital Group; Alliance Law Group, PLC; Caltex Capital, or Dinh & Associates.

Calls to the business on Anton Boulevard and its listed attorney were not immediately returned.

The warrant lists the following people as suspects of fraud and grand theft: Danh Hong and Nhu Thuan Thi Nguyen; Patrick H. Huynh; Quynh Thuy Lu; Tran Truong and Crispo Lumahan; Anhhong Thi Vo; Hon Tran; Liliane Tran and Natalie Lam.

According to the Better Business Bureau, the Laurel Law Group occupies the high-rise suite searched Wednesday.

The bureau’s website emphasizes building trust between customers and businesses. It flunked the Laurel Law Group.

The bureau’s online files on the Laurel Law Group read: “We strongly question the company’s reliability for reasons such as that they have failed to respond to complaints, their advertising is grossly misleading, they are not in compliance with the law’s licensing or registration requirements, their complaints contain serious allegations or the company’s industry is known for its fraudulent business practices.”

There were three complaints against the company on the website. All three plaintiffs claimed they went to the Laurel Law Group, shelling hundreds or thousands of dollars to “attorneys” to help modify their loans.

All three said they received nothing for their money, and their concerns were never addressed.

The warrant was connected to a Costa Mesa police report filed in February, according to the warrant.

Detectives said they had been investigating the business for months.