Andrew Stephan Hutchings, a 67-year-old Long Beach man, pleaded guilty Monday in Orange County to what prosecutors describe as a carefully plotted real estate scam that stripped four homes from their owners and generated about $2 million in losses. Court filings paint Hutchings as the coordinator who used forged purchase agreements and fake notarized signatures to transfer property titles and push sale proceeds beyond the reach of the victims. On paper, the charges carry a maximum of 12 years and eight months in prison, although his plea agreement calls for a much shorter sentence.
Plea deal, charges and penalties
According to court records, Hutchings admitted to two counts of conspiracy, one count of grand theft, four counts of procuring or offering false or forged documents to be filed, and one count of identity theft. He also agreed to a sentencing enhancement for an aggravated white-collar crime exceeding $500,000. Those filings note that Hutchings previously held a real estate license and indicate prosecutors believe he was the main financial beneficiary of the scheme. The specific counts and enhancement are detailed in court papers reviewed by MyNewsLA.
Prosecutors' account of the scheme
County documents describe the plot as a coordinated operation in which Hutchings would list properties, line up buyers and then rely on a second person to impersonate the true owners in front of notaries so deeds could be recorded. After a sale closed, prosecutors say the proceeds were wired to a precious-metals dealer, converted into U.S. gold eagle coins and then collected. Investigators later recovered about $266,000 worth of coins from a private vault. These details and the case record (Case No. 23CF0342) are summarized in an Orange County Board of Supervisors memo.
Properties targeted and estimated losses
Prosecutors say four homes were targeted in Anaheim, Garden Grove and Orange, and that two of the fraudulent sales were completed before the scheme was uncovered. The complaint lists 1634 W. Orangewood Ave. in Anaheim and 11742 Della Ave. in Garden Grove among the properties, assigning each an estimated value in the mid hundreds of thousands of dollars. Local reporting and earlier court filings place the total incident losses near $2,000,000, according to Patch.
Co-defendant's plea and next steps
Co-defendant Raymond Jirak, 70, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy, possession of a forged driver’s license and forgery, and prosecutors say he cooperated with investigators. Court records reviewed by MyNewsLA show Jirak is scheduled to be sentenced on July 31, 2026, while Hutchings’ sentencing will be set at a later hearing. Prosecutors told the court they traced more than $500,000 in profits to Hutchings, some of it converted into coins and other assets that are now being held as evidence.
How homeowners can check their title
The Orange County Clerk-Recorder offers a free Grantor/Grantee search and a property-fraud prevention notice that homeowners can use to monitor recordings and spot suspicious transfers. The office urges residents to contact the District Attorney’s Real Estate Fraud Unit if they see documents they do not recognize. The public notice lays out step-by-step tips for checking recorded documents and reporting suspected fraud. County materials also note that seized coins and properties can be liquidated after conviction to help pay restitution to victims, as described in county documents and court filings.
