Charges filed in Wolfe & Associates hacking case
Felony charges were filed Aug. 12 against six people suspected of hacking into the computer networks of Wolfe & Associates, a Santa Barbara-based property management firm, as part of an unemployment insurance fraud scheme.
The suspects—Gordon Alan Welteren, Nicole Michelle Milan, William Lee Gormley and Christina Renata Hesler of San Diego; David Zarate of Oxnard; and Rosa Maria Bradley of Santa Barbara—face a total of 275 felony counts, according to a news release from Santa Barbara County District Attorney Joyce Dudley’s office.
The charges include two counts of illegally accessing and using a computer system, one count of multiple identifying information theft, six counts of unlawful transfer of identifying information for identity theft, one count of conspiracy to commit multiple identifying theft, one count of conspiracy to commit unemployment insurance benefit fraud and 263 counts of unemployment insurance benefit fraud.
Dudley’s office has also charged the group with aggravated white collar crime enhancement, as the alleged felony conduct in the case amounts to more than $500,000.
Milan, Bradley and Welterlen were arraigned Aug. 12 and are being held on $250,000 bail. Milan and Welterlen are also being held on $1 million bail in a related case.
Wolfe & Associates is one of the biggest property managers in Isla Vista and also manages properties elsewhere in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. People who completed a rental application with Wolfe & Associates between 2017 and 2020 may have had personal identification information compromised, the district attorney’s office said. Those who suspect their identities may have been compromised can contact the office at idtheft@co.santa-barbara.ca.us.
