LAS VEGAS - Rena Starks was a homeowner advocate who said she wanted to stand up for Nevadans hit hard by our housing crisis.
A TV commercial for her company, Homekeepers, said the business "modified all types of home loans." "Do you owe more on your mortgage than your home is currently worth," an announcer asked. "Are you on the verge or in foreclosure? Homekeepers can help." "If you're in trouble, call me," Starks said in the ad.
Now, Starks is in trouble with the law. A criminal complaint alleges Rena Starks, her husband Terry, her daughter Tracey, and employee Lourdes Damian stole money from their clients. "There's at least $25,000 to $40,000 involved in this case," said Chief Deputy Attorney General Conrad Hafen. "There may be more."
Hafen says the defendants would rip off homeowners who feared foreclosure by taking their money and not contacting the homeowners' lenders as promised. "This is clearly a case of individuals who are preying on the bad luck of other people," Hafen said.
Prosecutors believe the Starks family put the cash in one of its business accounts. Authorities allege the Starks spent the money on numerous items and services, including: nearly $2,000 at Red Rock Harley Davidson, multiple charges at Massage Envy and $4,000 at Guitar Center. The state also believes some of the money was wagered at the Silverton Casino. "The gambling money input appeared to have doubled from 2007 to 2008, coinciding with victim up-front payments to Homekeepers," a court document reads.
The Starks' attorney, Brent Bryson, says his clients are the victims of an overzealous prosecutor. "They go in. They get a bunch of bank records. They see something, and the first thing that they don't have an explanation for, in their mind, oh boy, it's got to be a criminal act," Bryson said. "It's a witch hunt."
Bryson says he's helping the Starks try to clear their names. "I think they're fine, upstanding citizens," he said.
Drug charges have also been filed against Tracey and Terry Starks. When their home was raided, authorities say they found large amounts of pot.
The attorney general's office encourages the public to check with it or the Better Business Bureau before hiring a business that promises to modify loans.
