Spencer also operated a Santa Paula based company called Global Surplus Recovery Inc., and received more than $580,000 in foreclosure surplus money sent to him on behalf of dozens of clients who received only about $100,000 of the proceeds. For close to three years Spencer would approach homeowners in foreclosure and persuade them to hire him as their agent. Spencer would eventually acquire their power of attorney and the surplus funds garnered from the sale of the properties.Global Surplus Recovery Inc. was a legally formed company formed by Spencer - using the name Navarro - targeting working class Latinos who were on the verge of losing their homes. Spencer later moved from Santa Paula to Oak View, where he purchased a $1 million home using loan proceeds that he acquired through identity theft.Spencer was convicted in 1998 in Los Angeles and Ventura counties for felony thefts similar to the current charges, but on a smaller scale. Although he served jail time, he was later released on parole.Spencer is scheduled to be sentenced on June 10; he faces a maximum prison sentence of 28 years.
Former resident pleads guilty to two dozen fraud charges
May 04, 2005
Santa Paula News
A former Santa Paula resident who was accused of defrauding a local putting green owner pleaded guilty to 24 fraud charges and is to be sentenced in June.
By Peggy KellySanta Paula TimesA former Santa Paula resident who was accused of defrauding a local putting green owner pleaded guilty to 24 fraud charges and is to be sentenced in June. Anthony Spencer, 44, also known as Anthony Navarro, has been in Ventura County Jail since June for committing various types of fraud totaling about $2 million.Spencer was accused of multiple counts of loan and check fraud, grand theft, identity theft, forgery, money laundering and filing false documents, according to Deputy District Attorney Marc Leventhal. Spencer had originally pleaded not guilty, but right before his April 22 preliminary hearing he changed his plea to guilty.In 2003, Spencer defrauded Ozzie Osborn, an area resident who has a nine-hole putting course, out of more than $435,000 after learning that Osborn was interested in buying a Santa Paula Christmas tree farm. Spencer claimed to know the owners of the farm, and took both cash and equipment from Osborn to secure the deal. Osborn reported Spencer to authorities when he was alerted that equipment he had given Spencer was being sold.
