Orange pair get prison in real estate scam

Two Orlando residents were sentenced to prison Friday for an investment scheme that defrauded Italian buyers out of more than $5 million total, authorities said. A federal judge accepted a guilty plea from Leone Alfano La Cava, 59, on April 2 for wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Eleven days later, a jury found Viktoriya Johnson, 36, guilty on the same charges, the Department of Justice said in a news release.

U.S. District Judge John Antoon sentenced La Cava to eight years and one month in federal prison, and Johnson to three years and 10 months. They also were ordered to turn over four properties and two “luxury” vehicles purchased with money acquired through the scheme.

At least 85 Italian buyers were solicited to purchase property in Orange County with the promise that they would acquire income through rental. The pair falsified deed and loan records and claimed the properties were those owned by La Cava or Golden Investment Inc., which was incorporated by Johnson in 2010, according to the Department of Justice. In reality, “those properties either did not exist, were never owned by La Cava, Johnson, or Golden Investment, or had already been sold to another investor,” the release stated.

The pair sent buyers monthly payments to convince them they were receiving rent, according to an indictment.