Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has filed a lawsuit against two individuals and the more than 50 entities they controlled for allegedly running a predatory real estate scheme that defrauded homeowners of their property using phony foreclosure rescue schemes.
The lawsuit charges Edward Trenton Albarracin (aka Trenton Edwards) and Gretchen Marie Zamjahn (aka Gretchen Edwards) with running entities using misleading names such as “Hands with Hope” that claimed they could protect homeowners from foreclosure. Instead of helping homeowners in need, Albarracin and Zamjahn tricked them into signing over the deeds to their homes. The deeds were transferred to deceptively named shell LLCs such as “Lupo Family Trust, LLC,” which were entirely controlled by Albarracin.
Albarracin signed the deeds on behalf of the companies, while Zamjahn illegally notarized the transactions, despite having a direct financial interest as his spouse. Their victims were further misled and pressured to file false bankruptcy or probate cases to prolong the scam.
“These scammers pretended to offer a lifeline to homeowners in crisis — but in reality, they were stealing people’s homes out from under them,” said Mayes. “This scheme specifically targeted elderly Arizonans who were already struggling, and it used lies, shell companies, and even illegal notarizations to pull it off. Let me be clear: anyone who tries to profit by exploiting vulnerable Arizonans will be held accountable by my office.”
