| For Immediate Release Case # 08CF2906
December 11, 2009 |
Susan Kang Schroeder Public Affairs Counsel Office: 714-347-8408 Cell: 714-292-2718 Farrah Emami |
FORMER CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE FACES TRIAL FOR STEALING OVER $55,000 BY FAILING TO PAY FOR NEW MERCEDES BENZ AND DEFRAUDING HOTELS
SANTA ANA – A former congressional candidate faces trial Monday for defrauding Orange County hotels and stealing a Mercedes Benz from a local car dealership amounting to over $55,000. Delecia Holt, 48, Aliso Viejo, is charged with nine felony counts of writing non-sufficient fund checks, one felony count each of grand theft, perjury by declaration, unlawful taking of a vehicle, defrauding an innkeeper by non-payment, aid by misrepresentation, and defrauding a telephone company. She faces sentencing enhancements for property damage over $50,000. If convicted on all counts, Holt faces a maximum sentence of 11 years and eight months in state prison. Opening statements are expected to begin Monday, Dec. 14, 2009, at 9:15 a.m. in Department C-34, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.
In July 2005, Holt is accused of going to a Mercedes Benz dealership in Orange County and writing a bad check for just under $13,000 as a down payment for a $32,000 car. She is accused of leaving the dealer lot in the car and never making any legitimate payments for the vehicle. Holt’s account, from which the $13,000 down payment check was written, had insufficient funds and the dealership never received any monthly payments.
Between July 2007 and September 2007, Holt is accused of defrauding the Comfort Suites in Lake Forest out of $5,000. She is accused of living at the Comfort Suites and writing three separate checks with insufficient funds over the course of three months. She is accused of fleeing the hotel after failing to make any legitimate payments for her bill.
In August 2007, Holt is accused of committing perjury by intentionally deceiving the Orange County Social Services Agency by lying on a welfare document and failing to disclose that she had received income in the form of child support. She is accused of committing welfare fraud by accepting approximately $900 in welfare funds for which she was ineligible.
In October 2007, Holt is accused of hosting a comedy night fundraiser at a Dana Point hotel under the pretense of raising money for Habitat for Humanity. The failed event did not raise any money. Holt is accused of writing a check for $15,000 to the hotel from a personal account to cover the cost of the event. She is accused of writing a check to the four comedians totaling $2,000. She is accused of intentionally writing the checks knowing her account had insufficient funds. The checks were declined when the victims attempted to deposit them. She is accused of failing to pay the photographer and videographer.
Between December 2007 and November 2008, Holt is accused of opening multiple phone line accounts through the Sprint telephone company. She is accused of failing to make any payments on the more than $5,400 bills for those phone lines.
In April 2008, Holt is accused of writing a $3,000 check to Regal Entertainment Group as payment for advertisements they ran for her reality business in movie theaters prior to the beginning of movies. She is accused of having insufficient funds and her check was declined. She is accused of failing to make a legitimate payment to Regal Entertainment Group.