Not Guilty Plea Made in Condo-Conversion Case
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
The alleged mastermind of a scheme to illegally convert hundreds of Huntington Beach apartments into condominiums pleaded not guilty Monday in federal court.
Former real estate agent Phil Benson, 72, will be tried June 21 on multiple counts of mail and wire fraud. He and six others were accused of pocketing huge profits when they sold the units to unsuspecting buyers.
Former Huntington Beach Mayor Pam Julien Houchen, who worked with Benson at Pier Realty, has pleaded not guilty to similar charges.
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