A licensed real estate broker and two others were arrested in Los Angeles on allegations they participated in the fraudulent sale of a $1.5 million home in Burbank, using stolen identities to obtain nearly $1 million in loan proceeds.
Glenis Cardona, 63, of Highland, who operates an escrow business; Ivan Reyes, 50, of Van Nuys; and Arshak Akopyan, 46, also known as “John Akopyan,” of Northridge, are scheduled to appear in United States District Court in Los Angeles. Authorities continue to search for Basil Tikriti, 54, of Marina del Rey.
According to an affidavit filed with the complaint on January 30, the defendants allegedly completed the fraudulent sale between late 2023 and January 2024 by using the stolen identities of both the homeowner and a purported buyer. Cardona’s company, Golden Escrow—which has offices in Downey and Sherman Oaks—obtained a report on property liens before preparing false documents such as identity cards, purchase agreements, grant deeds, deeds of trust and loan applications. The documents were falsely notarized and submitted to a lender who funded the loan.
Cardona is accused of representing both parties—without their authorization—and controlling escrow. Tikriti allegedly impersonated both seller and buyer using stolen identities. Reyes and Akopyan acted as mortgage brokers and submitted fraudulent loan applications.
Once lenders deposited funds into escrow accounts, Cardona directed money to various third-party entities so that those involved could collect the proceeds.
Victims identified include the original homeowner who lost ownership of the house; the victim buyer who became responsible for repaying a $975,000 mortgage; the mortgage lender that unwittingly funded the loan; and a title company that insured the transaction without knowledge of its illegitimacy.
“A complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.”
If convicted on these charges, each defendant could face up to 30 years in federal prison.
The FBI is leading this investigation with assistance from the Burbank Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Kelly Larocque from the Transnational Organized Crime Section is prosecuting.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California serves more than 19 million residents across seven counties and handles criminal prosecutions as well as civil matters for the government (official website). The office works closely with law enforcement partners at all levels to ensure public safety while offering community support through victim assistance programs (official website). E. Martin Estrada currently serves as United States Attorney for this district (official website).
