People who say they were deceived by the Irving real estate executive said Wednesday they were excited to hear she would appear in criminal court next week.
Pauline Coronado, 72, was arrested last year after dozens of people filed complaints against her five years ago.
Experts said a series of factors were responsible for the delay.
It was in July 2018 that dozens of people claiming to be victims of Pauline Coronado filed a complaint with the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office.
The same day, two people told NBC 5 they each rented the same Mesquite home from Coronado, but were told they never got the deeds despite spending thousands of dollars. Told.
Patricia Guzman was living in the house at the time.
“I need a house. I just want to buy a house, because it’s the first house I was supposed to buy in my life,” Guzman said.
Naomi Perez said she also tried to buy the same home before hiring an inspector.
“He came in and said the permits were wrong, the electricity, the foundation, there were a lot of problems with this house,” Perez said.
Both tenants said they thought Coronado was the seller, but the homeowner turned out to be a third party.
The prospective buyers, most of whom were Spanish-speaking tenants, claimed that Coronado made them sign false promises in English contracts.
Records show 18 couples and individuals were named as victims in an indictment handed down by a grand jury in 2023.
Uber Verlam and his wife Luisa Cruz are one of the couples.
Verlam told Telemundo 39 on Wednesday that he is very happy that action is finally being taken in this case.
Nick Hockman is a property owner who testified before the grand jury about the charges Coronado faces.
Hochman told her she also lost money.
“She defrauded both the homeowner and the tenant,” Hochman said. “She has something in common, and it’s so sad. My company is ‘Everyone Win.’ We are a management company and always strive to be a win-win. ”
Hochman on Wednesday also said he was happy to see the lawsuit moving forward.
Attorney Dennis Croman said he is representing Coronado.
He declined to be interviewed on camera but confirmed the charges by phone.
Croman said Coronado committed no crime and did not receive any money from the rental agreement.
“Her involvement is very minimal,” Croman said.
Criminal defense attorney Heath Harris, who is not involved in the Coronado case, is a former Dallas County chief assistant district attorney. In that role, he oversaw such a large-scale investigation with many alleged victims.
“As far as business records and evidence tracking, we want to make sure everything is accurate, which is why it’s taking so long,” Harris said.
The COVID-19 pandemic, a change in leadership at the district attorney’s office and the lead prosecutor on the investigation also contributed to the delay.
Pauline Coronado is scheduled to appear in court on January 10th.