Man Found Guilty Of Fraud in Santa Maria Land Deals

SANTA BARBARA- A jury found Walden Williams guilty of fraud Tuesday morning for stealing more than $200,000 from his victims.Santa Barbara County District Attorney Joyce Dudley said a jury found Williams guilty of all counts against him. The charges included two felony counts of Grand Theft, two felony counts of Sale of Land without a Public Report and one misdemeanor count of False Advertising. The jury also found that Williams crimes involved fraud.The case involved the sale of real estate lots in the Dominion Road Ranch Subdivision southeast of Santa Maria. Prosecutors said Williams deceived his victims by falsely assuring them that the lots came equipped with residential water.Dudley said, “Those who commit the crime of real estate fraud are thieves, who steal not only the victims’ money, but often their hopes and dreams.”Williams will be sentenced on November 7th. He faces up to 8 years and 4 months in state prison.