A Baldwin Park woman who claimed she worked for the court system pleaded no contest Tuesday to stealing about $360,000 from more than three dozen customers who thought she was assisting them with immigration and real estate services.
Eblin Balver, 53, was sentenced to seven years in jail and six years mandatory supervision -- the latter for which she will be supervised by the probation department -- and was ordered to pay a total of $360,448 in restitution, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.
Balver pleaded no contest to 12 felony counts of grand theft and one felony count each of elder abuse and extortion involving 14 victims, but agreed to pay restitution to all 38 victims under the plea agreement, according to Deputy District Attorney Ryann Gerber Jorban.
Balver developed relationships with people in order to lure them into business arrangements for legal services, the prosecutor said.
The woman claimed that she worked for the court system and could help people with immigration petitions, visas and buying foreclosed homes, and collected payments without providing the promised services, according to Jorban.
Balver also threatened some of the victims by claiming a mafia connection to prevent them from reporting her crimes, the prosecutor said.
Balver has remained behind bars since her arrest in August 2018.
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The case against her was filed after an investigation by the District Attorney's Bureau of Investigation and Notario Fraud Unit in the Consumer Protection Division, with assistance from the Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs.
