Homebuilder, wife take plea deals in grand theft case
| Friday, Oct 30 2009 06:13 PM
Last Updated Friday, Oct 30 2009 06:13 PM
Most of the charges against former Bakersfield homebuilder Donald Juhasz and his wife, Denise, were dropped Friday in exchange for their pleas of no contest to one count each of grand theft.
Sentencing has been scheduled for Dec. 3 in a case that began when the county grand jury returned indictments against the couple on April 29. Both of the Juhaszes originally faced two counts of conspiracy, one count of forgery of a legal document, another count of forgery, one count of diversion of funds more than $1,000 and two counts of grand theft.
Denise's attorney, Bill Slocumb, said Donald faces 40 months in prison, minus time served. He said Denise would avoid jail time but receive felony probation and 100 hours of community service; Denise also may be ordered to pay restitution.
Prosecutors involved in the case could not be reached by phone after Friday's court proceedings. Donald Juhasz's attorney also could not be reached Friday.
Both of the Juhaszes were arrested in early May in La Verne, where they had moved after alleged victims began speaking up publicly against the couple. Denise was released after posting $100,000 bail; Donald remained in custody.
According to court records, the Juhaszes were accused of stealing more than $300,000 from 11 victims.
Slocumb said Donald Juhasz got caught up in a rapid rise and fall of the local real estate market, and that he and his customers were hurt by that fluctuation. Denise Juhasz, Slocumb said, wrote the checks.
"I continue to think that the crime my client (Denise) committed was being married to someone who developed the situation, and I think that sentiment is reflected in her sentence," Slocumb said.
Donald Juhasz did business under the name DMJ Customs Inc.
The couple filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection in October 2007. According to bankruptcy court records, the couple owed creditors $6.4 million, and had $3.7 million in assets, most of that in real estate.
About a month before the filing, Bakersfield police searched the Juhaszes' home on Brightwater Way.
According to a statement written by police Detective F.H. Wooldridge and filed in court with the search warrant return, seven families had reported losses resulting from doing business with Donald Juhasz. Some of the families said he drew on their construction loans but did not pay subcontractors who worked on the projects.
