Woman denies theft charges

A Huntington Beach woman accused of cheating mortgage loan modification customers out of more than $77,000 pleaded not guilty Friday to 33 criminal counts during her arraignment at the Harbor Justice Center in Newport Beach.

In high heels and a snug-fitting, short black skirt, suspect Vickie Khanhavi Dang, 28, strutted into the courtroom, clutching a Tory Burch designer handbag.

The 33 counts against her include grand theft and deterring a witness from reporting a crime. Dang and her attorney strongly deny the charges. Dang turned herself in to authorities Monday and later posted $100,000 in bail.

“I expect a lot more favorable facts to Miss Dang,” her attorney, William Weinberg, said outside the courtroom. “We are going to tear this case apart and see where it goes.”

According to the Orange County district attorney’s office, Dang ran her fraudulent business out of Costa Mesa and told customers that she could modify their mortgage loans. She charged them an up-front fee of 50%, but never provided her customers with the promised services, district attorney officials said in a news release.

She is accused of stealing the more than $77,000 from about 26 customers and threatening to put a customer in jail after he repeatedly called to ask for his money back, county prosecutors and police say. At least one customer lost their home, according to authorities.

Authorities also allege that she fraudulently posed as a lawyer in some instances, and advised her customers to not make their mortgage payments.

Weinberg said his client worked as the marketing director of a law firm, and he’s not aware of her posing as an attorney.

When asked why Dang held her business using different names, Weinberg said, “If that’s the police’s allegation, I’d like to see their evidence.”

He added: “Police only have to have probable cause to turn a case to the district attorney. But to prove allegations in a criminal court, you have to eliminate all reasonable doubt.”

Dang’s pretrial hearing is scheduled for Oct. 30.