A 55-year-old unlicensed broker pleaded guilty Thursday and was immediately sentenced to four years in prison for stealing about $800,000 from several clients in Orange County from 2016 through 2019.
Kelly Curtis pleaded guilty to 10 counts of grand theft and 10 counts of money laundering, all felonies. He also admitted sentencing enhancements for aggravated white collar crime exceeding $500,000 and was given credit for 592 days in custody.
The defendant “led investors to believe that he was a licensed broker, and took money from at least four individuals who believed Curtis was investing the money through his company, K Curtis Financial Group,” Deputy District Attorney George Smith said in court papers. “Curtis was not a licensed broker at the time.”
He was accused of taking the money from investors and putting it into his and his wife’s personal accounts, Smith said.
“Curtis used the investment funds he received from victims for personal expenses including mortgage payments, airline tickets, hotel stays, concert tickets and payments to Mercedes-Benz,” Smith said.