Simi Valley man charged with 13 felony counts in real estate case

A former real estate agent from Simi Valley has been charged with 13 felony counts of forgery, grand theft and money laundering.

Lane Yudell, 57, appeared in court Wednesday in Ventura but did not enter a plea. His arraignment on the charges was continued to June 13 at the defense's request.

Prosecutors said Yudell committed the offenses over a 3 ½-year period from February 2016 to August of 2019 while he was a licensed real estate agent. But the alleged crimes were not discovered until a period beginning in 2020 after his license had expired, according to a 17-page complaint the Ventura County District Attorney's Office filed in court in April.

He allegedly made multiple false statements that caused a 60-year-old Thousand Oaks woman who worked for him to relinquish possession and ownership of her home. He stole the sale proceeds from the woman's residence and laundered the money through multiple bank accounts, the DA's office said.

Yudell also is accused of forging the signature of a buyer of properties in Port Hueneme, Thousand Oaks and Long Beach. Senior Deputy District Attorney Dominic Kardum said the victim is a 78-year-old woman but that he was not free to disclose her city of residence. He declined to say what financial benefit Yudell could gain from the alleged forgeries in real estate transactions because of the pending case.

Along with the 13 felonies, the complaint lists 50 special allegations, including taking advantage of a position of trust, carrying out the crimes in a sophisticated manner and taking advantage of vulnerable victims. If a jury finds true the special allegations, it can lead to a heavier sentence.

Yudell was licensed to sell real estate from October 2007 to October 2019, when his license expired, according to the state Department of Real Estate.

Simi Valley police arrested the suspect in April at his home based on an arrest warrant obtained by the DA's Office following its investigation of more than two years. He was booked into county jail but has been released.

His private attorney, Margarette Mow, could not immediately be reached for comment.

Kathleen Wilson covers courts and local government issues for the Ventura County Star. Reach her at kathleen.wilson@vcstar.com or 805-437-0271.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Simi Valley man charged with 13 felony counts in real estate case