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Letter supporting forgery claim surfaces in Crisp & Cole case
| Wednesday, Sep 3 2008 6:19 PM
Last Updated: Thursday, Sep 4 2008 9:26 AM
A letter from David Crisp’s father-in-law, Bakersfield accountant Kevin Sluga, shows Sluga took “full responsibility” for his firm’s dealings with now-defunct Crisp & Cole Real Estate, a document received from state officials Wednesday shows.
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David Crisp and Carl Cole
The one-page statement, dated June 2007, absolves Sluga’s former business partner, Bakersfield accountant Timothy Hubbell, of any knowledge about documents allegedly bearing Hubbell’s forged signature found by state regulators in loan files for Crisp’s wife and others.
Sluga’s letter was entered as evidence in recent license hearings for David Crisp, 29, and Carl Cole, 61, but was not immediately made public due to objections from lawyers. The Californian submitted a public records request to the state Office of Administrative Hearings to get a copy.
Hubbell testified during the hearing that a letter clarifying employment of Crisp’s wife, Jennifer Crisp — one of Sluga’s daughters — bore Hubbell’s forged signature.
“I, Kevin Sluga, take full responsibility and liability ... for any statements written or verbally made regarding David and/or Jennifer Crisp,” Sluga’s statement says. “Any signed letters were acquired by me from him without his knowledge or understanding.”
Sluga’s letter also says all employment verifications regarding Jennifer Crisp and Megan Balod, also Sluga’s daughter, “were instructed to be directed to myself.”
“Timothy S. Hubbell did not work nor participate in any activities on the Crisp and Cole account,” the statement finishes. Sluga’s lawyer, George Buehler of Pasadena, said Wednesday his client did not forge the signatures.
“Mr. Sluga has said from the start he never forged Mr. Hubbell’s signature,” Buehler said.
Hubbell never testified Sluga forged the signature.
He told lawyers the signature wasn’t his and he didn’t recognize the handwriting. He also said Sluga admitted to creating the letter.
Hubbell split with Sluga and their former company, California Business Solutions, soon after state real estate regulators contacted him more than a year ago about letters in loan files allegedly bearing his name.
The state Department of Real Estate filed accusations of mortgage fraud against Crisp, Cole and several employees on Sept. 10, 2007.
The outcome of an administrative license hearing finished last month is still pending, said Tom Pool, spokesman for the department.
Two days after the state accusation, FBI and IRS agents raided 13 Bakersfield sites related to Crisp and Cole’s former operations.
Homes of Crisp, Cole, Kevin Sluga and wife Leslie, and Megan Balod and husband Michael were among properties searched. No charges have been filed in the federal investigation.
Crisp and Cole’s former company has left a string of foreclosed homes in its wake.
As of the end of August, at least 137 properties carrying more than $81 million worth of loans are tied to the former company’s employees, associates and family members, an ongoing Californian tally shows.
Most are houses in the metropolitan Bakersfield area.
Of those properties, 119 have so far foreclosed.