A woman who posed as a lawyer and defrauded 10 victims out of more than $57,000 was convicted Thursday of nearly two dozen counts of grand theft and identity theft.
Giuliana Bosco Huerta, 39, described by prosecutor Hector Jimenez as a "prolific con artist" and someone who was "very talented at duping people," faces nearly 20 years in prison when she is sentenced July 22.
Among other things, Bosco was convicted of stealing more than $40,000 from a man after telling him she would set up a trust for his child and a license for his bakery business.
According to Jimenez, Bosco built "an aura of credibility" by using made-up State Bar member numbers and impersonating other people when sending emails to her victims.
Some of the emails were sent while she was out on bail following her arrest last year, the prosecutor said.
"The defendant has everybody, including her own wife, believing she's a lawyer," Jimenez said.
In 2005, the defendant and former attorney Marc Levin defrauded friends and family members out of $500,000 by claiming to need money for what turned out to be made-up medical emergencies, according to the prosecutor.
In 2010, Bosco Huerta pleaded guilty to burglary in another scam, and in 2011, she was convicted of stealing from a law firm where she worked, the prosecutor said.
Jimenez said the defendant was known to use the attorney name Julie Saska Feinberg.