Man is arrested after complaints

Police said a Newport Beach man ripped off more than 50 people nationwide who were looking to adjust their loan payments to keep their homes from foreclosing.

Larry Ervan Gunter, 34, was arrested Tuesday during a traffic stop by Newport Beach police on an arrest warrant, and is the man who ran Help Modify Now, 4665 MacArthur Court, Suite 1000, and Consumer Resource Law Center, 301 Shipyard Way, authorities said.

Newport Beach Police began receiving complaints two months ago about Gunter’s companies taking between $1,500 and $3,500 from customers up front as payment to work on adjusting their loans, police said.

But the companies did nothing and never returned calls from customers, according to police. Police said Gunter made off with more than $175,000.

Attempts to contact either company were unsuccessful Friday. The address listed for Help Modify Now is bare, except for desks and a few computer monitors.

Senate Bill 94 prevents companies, individual contractors or attorneys from receiving payments before doing the work, police said. Gunter has yet to be charged for his alleged crimes, and the Orange County district attorney’s office is working with Newport Beach Police on what additional charges should be filed outside of a probation violation, said Sgt. Evan Sailor.

Gunter is being held in Orange County Jail without bail on a probation violation, and so far has been charged with only traffic violations, court records show.

If you believe you’ve been a victim of a loan modification scam through either company, contact Det. Bob Watts at (949) 644-3799, or the detective division hotline at (800) 550-NBPD.