7 indicted in Las Vegas in alleged foreclosure bribery scheme

A former director of a Nevada nonprofit dealing with distressed housing and six others have been indicted in federal court on bribery-related charges, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday.

The 14-count indictment unsealed Wednesday in Las Vegas accused the six other defendants with bribing 50-year-old Sergio Barajas, a former director of community development for the National Community Stabilization Trust in exchange for influence within the organization.

They were identified as Alan Cassell, 47, of Chula Vista, California; Elena Millner, 40, of Boerne, Texas; Benjamin Stuelke, 35, of Anaheim, California; Art Acosta, 55, and Michelle Acosta, 33, both of Anaheim Hills, California; and Ernesto Garcia, 45, of Upland, California.

All seven were charged with conspiracy to commit bribery and bribery involving programs receiving federal funds, according to a news release. The release said Stuelke and Garcia were also charged with bank fraud.

The National Community Stabilization Trust (NCST), a Nevada nonprofit formed in 2008 in response to the national foreclosure crisis, works to restore vacant properties and demolish unsafe properties, according to its website.

According to the indictment, Barajas’ role in the organization from October 2010 to September 2015 included approving nonprofits to participate in organizational programs, determining which nonprofits were awarded foreclosed homes and ensuring that the resale of homes complied with rules and guidelines.

The indictment says his co-defendants paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to Barajas to use his influence within NCST to give them access to foreclosed homes through the federally subsidized program and attempted to conceal the source of the payments. It alleges that two co-defendants made millions when the resold the homes.

The announcement said the indictment also accuses Stuelke and Garcia of giving false information to lenders who paid for the purchase organization homes resold by a housing nonprofit of which Stuelke was the chief financial officer.

Barajas, a resident of Chino, California, Cassell, Michelle and Art Acosta and Garcia all made their initial appearances in federal court Wednesday.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General is continuing to investigate the case.

Contact Mike Shoro at mshoro@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5290. Follow @mike_shoro on Twitter.