Beverly Hills Realtor accused of stealing celebrities – Variety



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A real estate agent from Beverly Hills has been arrested for stealing from celebrities' homes, including Usher, Adam Lambert and "Real Housewives" star Dorit Kemsley.

Jason Emil Yaselli, 32, is accused of encouraging an accomplice, Benjamin Ackerman, to enter homes during free visits to steal them. Ackerman allegedly sold the items and used the proceeds of the sale to pay the balance of Yaselli's credit card.

Ackerman allegedly broke into 14 homes from December 2016 to August 2018. During this period, he would be charged with making monthly payments ranging from $ 5,566 to $ 20,000 on Yaselli's credit card bill. .

According to the complaint, Ackerman was first apprehended by the police in September 2018, after which he stopped making payments on Yaselli's credit card.

The LAPD announced in January that it arrested Ackerman after discovering clothes, art, jewelry, wine, electronics and other items during a search of his home and in a storage unit. At the time, the authorities made no mention of Yaselli, but had said that the investigation was continuing.

According to Los Angeles police, Ackerman would sign in open house registries and claim to be a real estate agent or future buyer. The detectives said they were able to connect Ackerman to several burglars, which led them to conduct the search.

Yaselli was arrested on Wednesday and is currently being held on bail of $ 1.7 million, according to prison records. He should be brought to justice on Friday. Ackerman was arrested again last Friday, pleaded not guilty and was released on bail of $ 1.2 million.

The two face 50 charges, including 32 counts of money laundering, 14 counts of burglary, and charges of conspiracy and identity theft.

The alleged victims also include the former NFL linebacker, Shaun Phillips. The Open Houses were held in Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Brentwood and Hollywood Hills, according to the DA's office.

Ackerman's lawyer, Gary Jay Kaufman, issued a statement accusing prosecutors of sensationalism in the case.

"The District Attorney's press release, specifically naming Usher Raymond and Adam Lambert as alleged victims, only underscores what we believed from the first day, that it was a lawsuit based on the advertising, "he said. "People is no better today than it was a year ago. Unlike a good wine, this case does not improve with age. Mr. Ackerman is not just presumed innocent, he is actually innocent. "

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