Pierce County investors swept up in alleged Ponzi scheme, but no one showed for trial
A judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by more than 30 Pierce County residents who claimed they were swindled after investing in a California-based business whose leader was later federally charged for allegedly operating a Ponzi scheme.
Thirty-three Pierce County residents said they collectively contributed more than $1.2 million into the business, Creative Legal Fundings in CA, which invested in personal-injury lawyers. Instead of receiving high returns as promised, the investors said they lost their money.
The lawsuit, filed in April 2023 in Pierce County Superior Court, was tossed on March 17, when neither the plaintiffs nor the defendants appeared for the trial scheduled on that day, according to a court filing. The dismissal indicated that an option remained for the plaintiffs, who were apparently no longer represented by an attorney, to later refile the case.
Attorney Kyle Berti, who initially represented the plaintiffs, withdrew himself from the case in May, and no new legal counsel was subsequently listed for the plaintiffs, court records show. Berti did not return a message seeking comment.
The suit claimed that the Sacramento-based Creative Legal Fundings in CA had partners and investors in different states and countries and marketed to the Filipino community through seminars, social gatherings and social media posts.
Pierce County residents made up 29 of the 32 total plaintiffs in the suit, alleging that they were victims of fraud, negligent misrepresentation, breach of contract and other wrongdoing since 2021.
Investors, who contributed between $5,000 to $200,000 to the business, said they expected to be able to make monthly draws, examine business records upon request and receive their money in full within 30 days of a written request.
They alleged that Creative Legal Fundings in CA — not to be confused with the similarly named but unrelated Creative Legal Funding LLC — had denied their money’s return and not allowed plaintiffs to examine records. The business purportedly told investors that its bank accounts were frozen amid an investigation into money laundering but assured that the FBI and other agencies had found no wrongdoing.
The lawsuit named the business, another California-based LLC and Maria Dickerson, a.k.a. Dulce Pino, as defendants. Dickerson was listed as the CEO and board chairperson of Creative Legal Fundings in CA, according to a California business incorporation document. She did not respond to the lawsuit in court and had no listed legal representation, records show.
Within 18 months of the lawsuit’s filing, Dickerson would be facing criminal charges.
Dickerson, 47 at the time, was charged in September with 32 counts of wire fraud, securities fraud and money laundering after a federal grand jury returned an indictment that alleged she operated the business as a Ponzi scheme, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of California.
“Dickerson promised approximately 140 investors a fixed percent of return per month on their principal investment with additional compounding monthly interest if they left their money invested with her,” the news release said. “In reality, Dickerson used new investor money to pay off prior investors, to fund a lavish lifestyle, and to purchase Mercedes-Benz vehicles and a home in Sacramento.”
The news release referred to her business as Creative Legal Fundings of California.
Dickerson pleaded not guilty to the federal charges, court records show. A parallel case filed against her by the Securities and Exchange Commission has been paused until the U.S. Attorney’s Office case is completed.
Mark Reichel, an attorney representing Dickerson in both federal matters, didn’t return messages seeking comment from The News Tribune but previously told ABC 10News in San Diego that the business had paid out returns to investors.
“Many investors got well in excess of their original investment and reaped huge profits,” Reichel was quoted as saying, according to the outlet’s December 2023 story about accusations against Dickerson, which reported that she also had been separately sued in California.
In filings in federal court in California, Reichel wrote that Dickerson had known since April 2023 that charges were likely and had paid nearly $1 million in restitution to unspecified investors, as of September, through the surrender of two vehicles and the sale of her family home.
Four people allegedly tied to the business and initially named as defendants in the Pierce County civil case were dropped from the litigation in August 2023, court records show. Berti supported the dismissal based in part on conversations with law enforcement that he had said provided more context related to evidence, according to a court filing.
