The CEO of a Danville-based real estate investment company was arrested Friday on suspicion of illegally unloading himself from his $1.2 million mortgage, the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office announced Monday.
Darren Wassell, 42, has been charged with conspiracy, forgery, burglary, passing insufficient fund checks and attempting to file false documents. He faces a maximum sentence of five years and eight months. Bail is set at $100,000.
Wassell was a real estate agent until his license expired in 2010. He is currently the CEO of Still Creek Capital, LLC, a real-estate investment limited liability company.
The district attorney's office said Wassell purchased a five bedroom, three bath Danville home with a $1.2 million mortgage in 2005. In 2011, Wells Fargo moved to foreclose the home. Wassell then filed a fraudulent Deed of Full Reconveyance, which released Wassell of the mortgage.
In addition, the district attorney's office believe Wassell briefly opened and closed a checking account with US Bank in 2011. After the account was closed, he sent Wells Fargo a check for about $1.5 million. The check bounced for insufficient funds.
"This office will prosecute anyone who deceives victims and businesses of their hard-earned money in any real estate fraud scheme," Contra Costa County District Attorney Mark A. Peterson said. "We will not tolerate swindlers nor financial predators in our community.”
Wassell is being prosecuted by the Real Estate Fraud Unit of Contra Costa County.
In his social media profiles, Wassell appears to be family oriented and a man of faith.
He describes himself on his Twitter account as "Christian, Husband, Father, Friend, Youth Group Leader, Real Estate Lover."
Whether his wife knew or not....that is another story. After losing his license, he is now a RE Investor? I say everyone start looking for your money.
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:NXEtBOZMGEMJ:www.nationalrepublicregistry.com/public/2011/CA/02.06.000001.pdf+&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESgBgvEjMZM_9-Vt4YSkKSZsHnwmuc4r6VyzOUjopOBAMJXvl6yZZFr4ag1LyhKttG4Tx6ajB9b7LeYGDhVr9WCqswDARlzcl6tuAwi3-rf4JNsdXuFRysCKYsj11HzMMogWNx7g&sig=AHIEtbQmNV4jyowSEXNfgGfg4ODkcOf-EA https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:De3PVvi--7oJ:www.nationalrepublicregistry.com/public/2011/CA/02.09.000003.pdf+&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESjUySXy6iF2VC7_ZgDhfrrpzvwgLCeCletS2ZNDz4W4BKXo0M8vMXGmQHY1GiQK6KYD9RRWEKjGpjtFVWrqXvSKR5nFbFZGjxgxR4pWN6kB2E_MSjAW_1_yJ3Cq0ylsG0Dxym_4&sig=AHIEtbQzJNcKJ6_2tDB1fSJ-2Ie9E3l2fg https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:Cyi9FL9QXL4J:www.nationalrepublicregistry.com/public/2011/CA/02.09.000004.pdf+&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESjafruuLm3v4p5kPI-09nK3M-tov9S_vL79XM8KqwGmKGNKSqs05A20BpEVIINdXHkRUCSDMdsZlIzVcEFT8W9LtuGv4br-sZJoqK1L3ZiaCxTBmTH4ooDn9UVuuqIw3WREv9nT&sig=AHIEtbSjSBITLjEqdv0JKE5cfz0a9UinbQ
http://www.equiturn.com Watch the video...what a complete mess of a web of bottom feeders this story is.
Mr. Wassell was listed as one of the "Wealth Classes Team" until he was recently removed. http://www.wealthclasses.com/ Appears to be kind of a Ayn Rand + Bernie Madoff + Donald Trump kind of thing. Some desperate people will do anything for their (slim) chance at being one of the 1% - count me out...
If you wish to follow along....
District Attorney Mark A. Peterson stated “that this office will prosecute anyone who deceives victims and businesses of their hard earned money in any real estate fraud scheme. We will not tolerate swindlers nor financial predators in our community.” Darren Wassell is being prosecuted by the Real Estate Fraud Unit of Contra Costa County by Deputy District Attorney Ken W. McCormick. Further questions can be referred to Mr. McCormick at 925-957-8785
Most counties in ca let you look up criminal and traffic cases on their web site. However, i do not think coco county does. Too bad...would love to see the outcome of this one.
I suspect the DA's office has already had a chat with Mr. Ravin - testify and stay out of prison - friendship doesn't go far under those circumstances. Just ask the Mafia.
If his wife is so wonderful, and if she isn't ultimately charged as well because she must have known, she will wait for him while he serves his time. And she will hopefully get a real job and support her own family within her means and not turn to the government.
Time for people to wake up. Research this mans story. Understand that the amount of TROLLS commenting on this article means that there are details to this case that *THEY* do not want the public to learn about. Dear Trolls: The money you make to post your lies in an attempt to protect the oppressors = a sell out to humanity. KARMA should cause YOU to sleep with one eye open. It will catch up to you.
Karma my friend caught up with this dishonest guy who cant live by society's rules and accepted behavior...you really need to draw the line in the sand on some issue and take your tin foil hat off and stop living in your fantasy world.... it works well for the other 99.9999 % of us who do.
He did the crime and now will do the time.... thats been the rule from the begining of time.....
Didn't your mom ever tell you, "two wrongs don't make a right"...