Mayor Helped Set Up Meeting for Man Now Sought in Fraud

Lancaster Mayor Henry Hearns conceded Friday that he took part in a City Hall meeting this spring to discuss city aid for a low-income housing project proposed by a man who was charged this week with fraud.

Hearns’ acknowledgement of the meeting is the first indication that his relationship with Rayfield T. Johnson, who has apparently fled the area, extended to city business.

Earlier this week, Hearns said he had referred at least three people needing loans to Johnson over the last year. Hearns maintains he did nothing wrong and thought Johnson was a legitimate businessman.

Los Angeles County prosecutors on Tuesday painted a different portrait of Johnson, 46, by charging him with two counts of felony grand theft for allegedly taking $1,750 and a property deed this spring from a woman referred to him by Hearns. The woman never received a $25,000 business loan promised by Johnson.

Johnson billed himself as the director of a social services agency for the needy, although state officials have no record indicating that the agency existed. Johnson also claimed to be a famous poet and a former finance minister of Liberia.

Since news reports about Johnson appeared earlier this week, prosecutors said, two or three people claiming to be victims of his alleged loan scams have come forward to complain.

The mayor Friday said he found it hard to believe that a man who talked so smoothly about aiding the poor might have been a con man.

“Even now in the back of my mind, I don’t think he set out to destroy people,” said Hearns, a Baptist minister who met Johnson through his church. “I think he just got overcommitted and overextended himself.”

Lancaster officials said Friday that the city never gave Johnson any money or other aid because he never submitted a formal proposal of his housing plans.

The City Hall meeting included Lancaster Redevelopment Director Steve Dukett, who said he was summoned by a council secretary to the gathering in a council office. Others present were Hearns, Johnson, and Arvid Orbeck, Hearns’ appointee to the city parks commission.

Orbeck also was a business associate of Johnson and said this week that he too was fooled by Johnson’s ambitious business plans.

The purpose of the meeting, Hearns and Dukett agreed Friday, was for Dukett to explain to Johnson how the city’s Redevelopment Agency could offer financial or other aid to projects. Both Hearns and Dukett also said that Johnson was interested in such aid for his supposed project.

Hearns acknowledged Friday that he had urged Johnson to contact Dukett about the project and may have talked with Dukett about the issue previously. But although the meeting was in a council office and Dukett summoned by a council secretary, Hearns said he did not recall requesting the session.

Neither Hearns nor Dukett could recall Friday exactly when the meeting occurred this spring. But both said it lasted about 30 minutes and that neither Hearns nor Orbeck said much nor gave Dukett any directions. Dukett said he actually thought he met with Hearns and Johnson twice.

Hearns said he routinely arranges and attends such meetings.

“I take personal pride in working with every person, no matter how big or small they are,” Hearns said.