A Otay Mesa man who says he was scammed out of thousands of dollars by a paralegal posing as an attorney spoke exclusively to NBC7 about the loss of his savings, meant for his daughter.
A woman named Guiliana Huerta allegedly scammed resident Melvin Fredrick of more than $40,000, Fredrick told NBC7.
On Thursday, District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis said suspect Guiliana Huerta was facing multiple charges for stealing more than half a million dollars from her victims. Fredrick said he was one of her victims.
Fredrick said he asked Huerta to help him set up an LLC for his growing bakery and a trust fund for his daughter.
“I thought that she was a legit lawyer who was working on my cases and she wasn't she was just taking my money and I have nothing to show for it,” said Huerta.
Fredrick, who asked us not to show his face because he is an active duty law enforcement officer, said Huerta conned him out of tens of thousands of dollars by posing as his lawyer.
The lawyer representing Huerta notes the mother of Fredrick’s daughter is married to Huerta, complicating the case.
Local
“Those allegations have to be taken with a grain of salt given the inter-family connection and his basically having to provide that money to Mrs. Huerta for child support in any event,” said Gretchen von Helms, a criminal defense attorney.
Huerta is a paralegal, but not an attorney.
The DA’s office said she goes by another name as well: Julie Saska Feinberg. Feinberg has been convicted of grand theft, identity theft and burglary in the past.
Fredrick is her most recent victim, he said.
“She gets you she plays on your heart and she comes across genuine with an ill intent which is disheartening,” he said.
Huerta will appear in court on July 8th. If convicted of the charges she is facing, she could spend ten years in prison.
