Ex-lawyer convicted of forgery, bad checks

SAN DIEGO  — A La Jolla man with an extensive history of civil litigation was convicted Tuesday of knowingly filing a forged document with the county and passing nearly $2,500 in bad checks.

A San Diego Superior Court jury deliberated for about an hour before finding Gary Ravet guilty on all five felony charges against him. He faces up to four years and four months in prison when sentenced March 24, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

After the verdict was read, Judge Peter Gallagher indicated he plans to sentence Ravet to some time behind bars.

Ravet’s attorney declined to speak to a reporter after the verdict was entered.

The most serious charges revolve around a deed of reconveyance that prosecutors said was forged with signatures and a notary stamp, then filed by Ravet with the county. The deed on Ravet’s La Jolla home represented $230,000 loaned to Ravet by a former girlfriend, according to testimony.

When the deed of reconveyance was filed, it essentially removed the lien.

Prosecutors had initially charged Ravet with forging the document as well, but that charge was dismissed during the preliminary hearing for lack of evidence. Prosecutors instead charged him with knowingly passing or using a forged document. He was also charged with recording a false document in a public office and burglary, meaning he entered a business with intent to commit a felony.

Evidence was also presented detailing a proclivity for bouncing checks.

Jurors found that Ravet specifically wrote three bad checks in 2013: for $1,595 and $827 to Costco, and for $59 to Vons. Bank officials also testified about bank statements that showed numerous other bounced checks on Ravet’s accounts for thousands of dollars over the years.

“Mr. Ravet is a master manipulator,” Deputy District Attorney Steve Spinella told the jury during closing arguments.

Ravet’s defense attorney, Elliot Kanter, attacked the credibility of the prosecution’s key witnesses, including the notary public and the ex-girlfriend. He also argued that Ravet never received notification of his bank balance problems through phone calls or the mail.

“He might not be the best businessman in terms of keeping his bank accounts straight,” Kanter told the jury. “(It) doesn’t mean he committed a crime.”

Ravet, a businessman and former attorney, is no stranger to civil litigation. A recent matter resulted in a $1 million dollar-plus judgment against him in a case alleging that he shielded assets from creditors who had previously sued him for malicious prosecution.