Former MLB Player Lenny Dykstra charged fraud, theft, possession of cocaine & Ecstasy

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http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lano...ossession.html

June 6, 2011 | 11:01 am

Former New York Mets player and financial guru Lenny Dykstra was charged Monday with nearly two dozen counts of fraud, grand theft and drug possession, the L.A. County district attorney’s office said.

Dykstra, 48, and two co-defendants -- his accountant Robert Hymers, 27, and friend Christopher Gavanis, 30 -- were set to be arraigned Monday afternoon, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Alex Karkanen.

In January, Dykstra, Hymers and Gavanis tried to lease high-end automobiles from several area dealerships by allegedly providing fraudulent information and claiming credit through a phony business, prosecutors claim.

At two dealerships, Dykstra and Hymers allegedly provided information from a man they claimed was a co-signer but who had not authorized his name to be used. The leases were not approved.

But all three men allegedly drove off with three cars at one company by providing fraudulent information, according to prosecutors.

When Dykstra was arrested April 14 by Los Angeles Police Department detectives during a search warrant at his Encino home, officers allegedly found cocaine and Ecstasy along with Somatropin, a synthetic human growth hormone.

Dykstra is charged with five counts of attempted grand theft auto, eight counts of filing false financial statements, four counts of identity theft, three counts of grand theft auto and three counts of possession of a controlled substance. All are felonies.

In addition, he is charged with one misdemeanor count each of possession of a controlled substance without a prescription and unauthorized possession of a syringe.

If convicted, Dykstra faces up to 12 years in state prison.

In a separate case, Dykstra was indicted in May on federal bankruptcy charges for allegedly removing, destroying and selling property that was part of a bankruptcy estate without the permission of the trustee.