Investigators with the Santa Barbara County district attorney’s office arrested two suspects on Friday after an investigation into a sophisticated forgery and fraud operation.
Bradley Christopher Stark, 33, and Pamela Charlene Stark, 41, were arrested in Santa Barbara and booked into the county jail. Bail was set at $1 million each.
The district attorney’s office filed a criminal complaint charging Bradley Stark with eight counts of passing nonsufficient funds checks, four counts of grand theft, three counts of making a false financial statement, one count of forgery and two counts of passing a fictitious check.
The office filed a criminal complaint charging Pamela Stark with one count of commercial burglary, four counts of passing nonsufficient funds checks, one count of passing a fictitious check and four counts of grand theft.
Victims of the nonsufficient funds and fictitious checks included the Encina Lodge, the West Beach Inn, the Santa Barbara Surgery Center, Bishop Garcia Diego High School, Santa Barbara Luxury Rentals and a rental property owner in Santa Barbara.
The complaint also alleges that Bradley Stark committed theft by false pretenses by falsely stating his financial condition in an attempt to buy a $4.4 million home listed for sale in Montecito. The Starks remain under investigation.
Investigators believe that there may be more victims in the Santa Barbara area. Anyone with information should call district attorney investigator Norma Hansen at 805.568.2360.
Norma Hansen is an investigator with the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office.