SANTA MONICA—The city of Santa Monica reported on its website that on July 29, a judge for the California Superior Court placed defendants Adam Shekhter, MySuite, LLC., 1238 10th Street, LLC., and 1433 Euclid Street, LLC., on a 12-month diversion program in connection with misdemeanor criminal charges of tenant harassment, public nuisance, and zoning violations at apartment buildings in Santa Monica owned or managed by the defendants. Terms of diversion require the defendants to pay $80,000 to the city for tenant protection enforcement and outreach, $20,000 to a former tenant, and $2,000 to a current tenant.
In its complaint, the People alleged the defendants engaged in multiple illegal acts. The complaint alleges the defendants operated an illegal group residential use by renting apartment units, bedroom-by-bedroom to tenants on separate leases. The complaint further alleges the defendants created a public nuisance by providing substandard housing that lacked a kitchen at the 1238 10th Street property and the defendants engaged in tenant harassment by attempting to influence a tenant at 1238 10th Street and a tenant at 1433 Euclid Street to vacate their units through fraud, intimidation, or coercion.
If the defendants successfully comply with the terms of diversion, the court will dismiss the charges against them at the end of the diversion period. If the defendants fail to comply with the terms of diversion, the court is authorized to terminate diversion and resume the criminal proceedings.
