James Armando Rivera blames his ex-wife for the nearly dozen felony counts he was handed Tuesday in Kern County Court.
She drained his accounts of thousands of dollars, which is the reason he never finished jobs he took money for in Nevada, he said in a jail interview.
But Gina Rivera, the 39-year-old’s ex-wife, says James' blame-game is typical, but scary.
“James has always blamed somebody for his crimes,” Gina Rivera said. “I am no criminal mastermind. This guy is wacko.”
She added: “I don’t know what’s wrong with him. I have seen every scam and scheme from him. It’s mind boggling to me.”
James Rivera appeared in Kern County Superior Court Tuesday for allegedly writing bad checks but was handed 11 felony counts by Nevada officials.
He will most likely be extradited to Clark County Justice Court in Las Vegas to answer to the charges that include being a fugitive, obtaining money under false pretenses, engaging in business without a license and more.
Until Tuesday, Rivera was listed on the Nevada State Contractors Board 10 most wanted list.
Rivera said he moved from Bakersfield to Nevada after he divorced Gina. She then cleaned him out of all his cash from his accounts. He owned dozens of "paint dealerships" here, he said. Their relationship was rocky from the beginning, he said.
Self described as an “extraordinary salesperson,” he was successful in Nevada, but Gina kept cleaning out his accounts. So much so that he couldn't finish some landscaping jobs he started, he said.
Nevada officials say Rivera operated in Nevada under the names of Pacific Sun Landscaping and E-Z Landscaping without the owner's permission.
According to one company owner, Rivera would ask for project deposits from clients, had clients write checks made to him and then bail on jobs.
Rivera in jail said he has sold paint, has sold supplements and even owns a Christian music record label.
He has two large tattoos on his forearms, both of opened scrolls with writing on them. One says, “Give me Christ, but keep the Christians.” The other says, “If it were not for Christians, I would be a Christian.”
He has also been a business teacher and an author, he said.
Gina Rivera, of Lamont, said his record speaks for itself, and he’s a fraud. He has criminal records in San Jose, Santa Cruz, Washington and Arizona, she said.
To see how good of a businessman he is, she said, look up Total Home Solutions in the Better Business Bureau. He is listed as president.
Rivera said she has had a restraining order out on him for years. She is worried of what he will do when if gets out of prison. The two have a child together.
“He has stolen a lot of money from a lot of people,” she said. “A lot of people in Bakersfield are happy where he’s at right now.”
“All can do is try to protect myself and my child.”
— Jorge Barrientos, Breaking News Reporter
CASE DETAILS:
Criminal Case Information - Case Details criminal case information/calendar menu / defendant search / search results / case details
Criminal Case Information - Case Details criminal case information/calendar menu / defendant search / search results / case details Defendant Information: Name: RIVERA, JAMES ARMONDO Birth Year: 1969 Case Information: Court Case #: BF111112A Filing Date: 07/22/05 Related Case #: None Arrest Date: 07/08/08 Bail Amount: $25000.00 Bail Status: ACTIVE Bail Type: SURETY BOND Charges/Dispositions | Sentence Information | Scheduled Hearings | Aliases
Charges/Dispositions Count Type Code Section Charge Description Charge Disposition Disposition Date 001 F PC 508>FEL EMBEZZLEMENT BY EMPLOYEE OVER $400 002 F PC 487(A) GRAND THEFT: PROPERTY Back to Top
Sentence Information ** n/a - no convicted charges ** Back to Top
Scheduled Hearings Notes: 1. For Metropolitan Division cases: If the Div/Dept is 1-17, A-K or T then the Div/Dept is your courtroom number. If the Div/Dept is other than those listed in the previous sentence see the information desk near the escalator for your courtroom number. 2. If a defendant has more than one hearing scheduled for the same date and time, he or she should appear on the felony case first. 3. Calendars for each court may periodically change as court schedules are modified by court personnel. Persons viewing the court calendar assume full responsibility for appearing at the proper date and time and at the proper court irrespective of the information contained herein. Hearing Date/Time Hearing Location Div/Dept Hearing Type 07/21/2008, 08:30AM Metro Division - 1415 Truxtun CC FELONY ARRAIGNMENT 08/01/2008, 09:00AM Metro Division - 1415 Truxtun PH PRE-PRELIMINARY HEARING 09/12/2008, 09:00AM Metro Division - 1415 Truxtun PH PRE-PRELIMINARY HEARING 09/15/2008, 08:30AM Metro Division - 1415 Truxtun PX PRELIMINARY HEARING Back to Top
Aliases Defendant name RIVERA, JAMES ARMONDO Aliases ** None ** Back to Top
Superior Court of California, County of Kern court employees are prohibited from giving legal advice per section 24004 and 68082 of the Government Code. In addition, court employees may not give advice as to which legal forms to use or how to complete the forms.
Defendant Information: Name: RIVERA, JAMES ARMONDO Birth Year: 1969 Case Information: Court Case #: BF111112A Filing Date: 07/22/05 Related Case #: None Arrest Date: 07/08/08 Bail Amount: $25000.00 Bail Status: ACTIVE Bail Type: SURETY BOND Charges/Dispositions | Sentence Information | Scheduled Hearings | Aliases
Charges/Dispositions Count Type Code Section Charge Description Charge Disposition Disposition Date 001 F PC 508>FEL EMBEZZLEMENT BY EMPLOYEE OVER $400 002 F PC 487(A) GRAND THEFT: PROPERTY Back to Top
Sentence Information ** n/a - no convicted charges ** Back to Top
Scheduled Hearings Notes: 1. For Metropolitan Division cases: If the Div/Dept is 1-17, A-K or T then the Div/Dept is your courtroom number. If the Div/Dept is other than those listed in the previous sentence see the information desk near the escalator for your courtroom number. 2. If a defendant has more than one hearing scheduled for the same date and time, he or she should appear on the felony case first. 3. Calendars for each court may periodically change as court schedules are modified by court personnel. Persons viewing the court calendar assume full responsibility for appearing at the proper date and time and at the proper court irrespective of the information contained herein. Hearing Date/Time Hearing Location Div/Dept Hearing Type 07/21/2008, 08:30AM Metro Division - 1415 Truxtun CC FELONY ARRAIGNMENT 08/01/2008, 09:00AM Metro Division - 1415 Truxtun PH PRE-PRELIMINARY HEARING 09/12/2008, 09:00AM Metro Division - 1415 Truxtun PH PRE-PRELIMINARY HEARING 09/15/2008, 08:30AM Metro Division - 1415 Truxtun PX PRELIMINARY HEARING Back to Top
Aliases Defendant name RIVERA, JAMES ARMONDO Aliases ** None **
