Architect Charged With Falsifying Newport Records

A Corona del Mar architect was charged Thursday with filing false land surveyor’s maps and altering Newport Beach records in a way that cost homeowners thousands of dollars, according to the district attorney’s office.

Andrew Paul Goetz, 43, could be imprisoned 11 years if convicted, officials said.

Between March 2001 and August 2003, prosecutors say, Goetz submitted forged and altered surveys to support construction and renovation plans for numerous homes he was working on. As a result of the fraudulent plans, they say, the city approved building permits for homes that later had to be modified or rebuilt.

In one case, authorities said, a couple had to remove the completed third story of their home at a cost of more than $100,000 because it exceeded the city’s building height limit.

From a Times Staff Writer