Huntington man faces charges of embezzlement

Paul Clinton

The Orange County District Attorney is prosecuting a Huntington Beach

man for grand theft against an elder.

A hearing date has been set for June 3 for 32-year-old Brett Porr, who

was arrested on April 24 by Huntington Beach police.

Porr allegedly defrauded his 95-year-old great aunt of more than

$50,000. Porr may face up to six years. The penalty for grand theft

becomes much more severe when the act is committed against an elder, said

Deputy District attorney Doug Brannan.

In September of 2001, Mary Siciliano moved from New York to Huntington

Beach to live with Porr, said Sgt. Gary Meza of the Huntington Beach

Police.

At that time, Porr and his sister Jessica Silva began feuding over

their great aunt’s savings of almost $200,000. The aunt brought with her

a store of cash and savings bonds, Meza said.

The two fought over the savings, with Silva securing a

power-of-attorney agreement over her assets, Meza said. Porr involved

police when his sister gained power of attorney. He then sued his sister

to recover a share of the bonds, which the aunt had placed in his name.

He agreed to a settlement that netted him a share of the bonds and a

$60,000 payment to care for the elderly woman.

However, when police asked him to produce receipts proving that he

spent the cash caring for Siciliano, Porr stalled for time, Meza said.

Porr was arrested April 24, after several failed attempts by officers to

obtain the receipts.

“He could talk Eskimos into buying ice,” Meza said of Porr.

The district attorney has charged Porr with false imprisonment of an

elder and damaging property valued at more than $50,000, a lesser charge

designed to enhance Porr’s penalty if he is convicted.

Porr ran a Web-based retail clothing business called Higher Power USA.

Hosting service Agape Web Solutions has posted a message on the company’s

Web site (HPClothing.com) saying it has “temporarily taken the site down

because of nonpayment.”

* PAUL CLINTON is a reporter with Times Community News. He covers City

Hall and education. He may be reached at (714) 965-7173 or by e-mail ato7 paul.clinton@latimes.comf7 .