SANTA BARBARA-  On August 12, 2020, the  Santa Barbara County District Attorney announced that a felony complaint was filed against:

• Gordon Alan Welterlen, 37, of San Diego,
•  Nicole Michelle Milan, 31, of San Diego,
• David Zarate, 44, of Oxnard,
• Rosa Maria Bradley, 40, of Santa Barbara,
• William Lee Gormley, 35, of San Diego,
• and Christina Renata Hesler, 40, of San Diego.

The suspects are charged in a 275 count felony complaint. The complaint alleges

• two counts of Accessing and Using a Computer System of Wolf & Associates Property Management in violation of Penal Code Section 502(c)(2),
• one count of Multiple Identifying Information Theft in violation of Penal Code section 530.5, 6 counts of Unlawful Transfer of Identifying Information for Identity Theft, in violation of Penal Code Section 530.5(d)(2),
•  one count of conspiracy to commit Multiple Identifying Theft,
• One count of conspiracy to commit Unemployment Insurance Benefit Fraud,
• and 263 counts of Unemployment Insurance Benefit Fraud in violation of Unemployment Insurance Code section 2101.

Additionally, the Aggravated White-Collar Crime Enhancement, pursuant to Penal Code section 186.11 is charged, stating that the alleged felony conduct in this case amounted to a taking of more than $500,000.

The investigation in this matter is on-going. Anyone who completed an application with Wolf & Associates between 2017 and 2020 may have had their personal identifying information compromised. If you believe your information was compromised, you may contact the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office at: IdTheft@co.santa-barbara.ca.us

Milan,  Bradly and  Welterlen were arraigned on August 12, 2020. Each defendant is being held on $250,000 bail is this case. Additionally, Milan and Welterlen are being held on $1,000,000 bail in a related case. The next hearing in this matter is on August 21, 2020. The Santa Barbara Police Department and the Investigation Division of the California Employment Development Department conducted the investigation in this matter.

“California EDD investigators work to protect a fund that is meant to help individuals who are suddenly without a paycheck,” said California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA) President Alan Barcelona.  “Now more than ever, it is important to investigate, charge and punish those who are committing fraud and illegally taking from this fund.”