Authorities arrested the suspect Maria Gabriella Perez after receiving a criminal complaint that alleged that the salon owner had ran up approximately $68,000 in unauthorized charges on a credit card belonging to high-end jewelry designer Loree Rodkin. Federal prosecutors say that the suspect would keep the credit card information of her clients and that she would run unauthorized charges on the credit card counts after services were performed. So far, Maria Gabriella Perez has been charged with two counts of fraud. She can be sentenced to a maximum of 25 years in prison if convicted of both counts.
Criminal complaints say that the salon owner has a criminal record that includes an arrest for shoplifting and writing checks with insufficient funds. The woman has also reportedly used 20 variations of her name, but all with the same social security number. She may already have as many as seven judgments against her and her property.
Maria Gabriella Perez has denied stealing from her clients and already has a Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer to represent her in the fraud case. Her attorney Jerod Gunsberg told ABC News, "This is a legitimate business, and we fully expect that once all the facts come out that she will be exonerated of all the charges, and she is innocent."
Related Resources:
- Credit / Debit Card Fraud - Criminal Law (FindLaw)
- Find a Los Angeles Criminal Defense Lawyer (FindLaw)
- Consumer Fraud (FindLaw's LawBrain)
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