Newport Beach Police say Help Modify Now and Consumer Resource Law Center CEO has been arrested. The NBPD is informing the public that this man has allegedly ripped off more than 50 people nationwide who were hired his firm to perform a loan modification.
I reported on this company last month due to complaints I was receiving via my blog and email: Help Modify Now & Consumer Resource Law Services: Homeowner says they are a scam!
Larry Ervan Gunter, 34, was arrested last Tuesday during a routine traffic stop by NBPD on an arrest warrant for unrelated charges. They are investigating the man who operated Help Modify Now and Consumer Resource Law Center authorities said.
Newport Beach Police had received several complaints about Gunter’s firms swindling between $1,500 and $3,500 from homeowners in up front fees to work on modifying their loans. Apparently this Gunter charatcer did nothing for the cash and didn’t even return calls to worried homeowners. The scamming CEO made off with more than $175,000.
Attempts to contact either company were unsuccessful Friday. The address listed for Help Modify Now is bare, except for desks and a few computer monitors.
Senate Bill 94 prevents companies, individual contractors or attorneys from receiving payments before doing the work, police said. Gunter has yet to be charged for his alleged crimes, and the Orange County district attorney’s office is working with Newport Beach Police on what additional charges should be filed outside of a probation violation, said Sgt. Evan Sailor.
Gunter is being held in Orange County Jail without bail on a probation violation, and so far has been charged with only traffic violations, court records show.
If you believe you’ve been a victim of a loan modification scam through either company, contact Det. Bob Watts at (949) 644-3799, or the detective division hotline at (800) 550-NBPD.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
About time he got caught. my $3500.00 went with him. and its been 1 year 6 months and my loan still hasnt been modified. now my bank is selling my house on short sale. i literally cry everytime i think about what Larry Gunter and his company did to me.
they got us for 1250. up front ..just found out today they got caught!! but luck for i didnt wait for them to get the paper work filled out ..and even threated them with call a lawyer! shouldnt these scammers also be responsible for the homerowners getting forclosed on ?
Nice! I totally believed that we were working with a legitimate company. Larry took $3,500.00 of our hard earned money & now we have to go to court to explain what has happened & hopefully we can hold on to our home. Send him to prison, he doesn’t deserve anything more.
My name is Tammy and I also got scammed for 3,500.00! only reason I had that money was because my homeowners loan ASC was not taking my mortgage due to being in mediation , so the money I gave them was my mortgage payments…………. just talked to sargent Bob watts and was told the money is gone………………lousy bastard hope he rots in Jail
!!!!!!!!!
Call the Newport Beach PD and let them know. Maybe they can use your testimony.
These guys got me in April of 09, So any body hear if or when we can get our money back?
Here is a great page from the local Sheriff’s Dept. for all you Gunter fans:
http://www.ocsd.org/whosinjail?IDX=whosinjail&FormAction=NameList&LastName=gunter&Age=&FirstName=larry&Gender=M&MiddleName=&x=42&y=10