OVERVIEW
Criminal Evidence Summary
Michael Gasio is a retired educator, 100% medically disabled senior citizen, residing with his wife — a university professor and Ukrainian refugee — at 19235 Brynn Ct, Huntington Beach, California. Between April and July 2024, Mr. Gasio was the victim of a coordinated scheme involving his landlord, the landlord's real estate agents, and an eviction attorney. The scheme included forgery of a rental contract, interception of a legally tendered cashier's check, concealment of that payment from the court, and a fraudulent eviction proceeding resulting in Mr. Gasio's displacement from his home of over two years. Every element of this scheme is documented by physical evidence, electronic records, and the defendants' own written and verbal statements.
7Defendants
9Agencies Filed
700+Exhibits
162Page HBPD Filing
5thAmendment Invoked
$0Check Ever Returned
Michael Gasio tendered a cashier's check for $4,334 — payable to Berkshire Hathaway Home Services California — via USPS certified mail on May 30, 2024, during the legally required 3-day notice cure window. The check was signed for at the BHHS office by agent Hanson Tri Le (signature "H.H."). The property owner subsequently sent a text message confirming the check had been received: "Hanson has the check." Neither the owner nor the agent applied the funds. Neither notified Mr. Gasio of any problem. The agent later resigned from BHHS. The eviction proceeding continued — and the attorney representing the owner told the court the check had been returned by mail. It was not. The check has never been cashed. It has never been returned. It is still sealed. The owner's own text message, admitted into evidence at the February 6, 2025 hearing, proves he knew the check had been received and chose to conceal it.
CRIMES
Criminal Acts Identified
Forgery
FORGED RENTAL CONTRACT
A counterfeit lease was substituted for the original Berkshire Hathaway DocuSign contract (Envelope #46CC8725). HBPD confirmed forgery. The forged document was used in court proceedings.
PC §470 — Forgery | PC §132 — False Evidence in Court
Theft by False Pretense
CASHIER'S CHECK INTERCEPTION
A cashier's check legally tendered during the cure window was received, concealed, and never applied or returned. The agent signed for it at BHHS and left the company. The check remains sealed.
PC §484(a) — Theft | PC §532 — False Pretense
Perjury / Fraud on Court
FALSE STATEMENTS IN COURT
The eviction attorney told the court the cashier's check had been returned by mail. USPS tracking shows the alleged return letter was still in transit at the time of the hearing. The owner's own text proves the check was received. No check was ever returned.
PC §118 — Perjury | PC §132 — Fraud on Court
Wire Fraud
FRAUDULENT DOCUSIGN CONTRACT
The original lease was executed via DocuSign Envelope #46CC8725 from a BHHS corporate email address. A forged substitute was used in subsequent proceedings, constituting wire fraud through an interstate electronic contract system.
18 U.S.C. §1343 — Wire Fraud
Elder Financial Abuse
VICTIM IS DISABLED SENIOR CITIZEN
Michael Gasio is a disabled senior citizen. The financial scheme — check interception, coerced double payment, fraudulent eviction — constitutes financial elder abuse under California law, subject to mandatory reporting.
WIC §15610.30 — Financial Elder Abuse
RICO Enterprise
COORDINATED MULTI-PARTY SCHEME
Seven defendants — owner, two real estate agents, a designated broker, a corporate franchise, and two attorneys — participated in a coordinated pattern of fraudulent acts over more than six months, constituting a RICO enterprise under both state and federal law.
18 U.S.C. §1962 — RICO | PC §186.2 — Criminal Profiteering
NAVIGATE
Evidence Sections
Who Did This
DEFENDANTS
Seven individuals and entities. Each with name, license number, role in the scheme, and primary criminal exposure.
What Proves It
PHYSICAL EVIDENCE
The sealed cashier's check. The owner's text. USPS tracking. DocuSign envelope. The forged invoice. Each item with what it proves and where it is.
When It Happened
CRIME TIMELINE
The criminal scheme from first contact to final cover-up, in chronological order. Every key event sourced to a document or physical record.
What Laws Were Broken
CRIMINAL CHARGES
California Penal Code, Business and Professions Code, Welfare and Institutions Code, and federal statutes. Statute text, violation summary, and evidence per charge.
Where This Has Been Filed
AGENCY FILINGS
FBI, HUD OIG, IRS Criminal Investigation, USPS Postal Inspection, FTC, California DRE, California State Bar, California AG, and others. Filing dates and status.