Plea Postponed for 3rd Time in 2008 Murder

It's been more than three weeks since an Orange County-based financial adviser was charged with allegedly stealing money from, then murdering an elementary school teacher who was found dead in his Santa Monica apartment in 2008.

Huntington Beach resident Daniel Gilbert Becerril II is being held in lieu of $2.4 million bail at the men's central jail in downtown Los Angeles , but has yet to enter a plea.

A hearing was set Monday, but was postponed for the third time to April 9, according to prosecutor Robert Knowles.

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As the head of AP Financial Group, Becerril allegedly owed Alexander Merman a quarter of a million dollars, and had stolen an additional $300,000 from Merman's investment account, which he deposited into a personal account and one belonging to his company, police and prosecutors allege.

The District Attorney has charged him with 31 felony counts, including grand theft and money laundering.

Becerril is being represented by the Public Defender's office, which not immediately return a message seeking comment for this story. Knowles said he was not informed as to why the hearing was postponed again.

Authorities allege that Becerril, along with his wife, Sandra, 33, led "a very broad and deep" fraud ring.

In a separate but related case, the D.A.'s office also filed charges against grand theft, money laundering and forgery against Sandra, Becerril's 25-year-old sister, Rebekah, and a third defendant, Abram Guajardo, 38.were also charged with multiple counts of forgery and grand theft.

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