By Lookout Staff

March 6, 2012 -- Daniel Edward Becerril II, owner of the Huntington Beach-based AP Financial Group, was charged Monday with the 2008 murder of Santa Monica artist Alexander Merman, as well as with money-laundering and grand theft.

The body of Merman, 35, was discovered by police on March 19, 2008 in his Montana Avenue condo, where he was fatally stabbed.

Prosecutors filed a total of 31 felony counts against Becerril, who allegedly ran a complex financial scheme involving employees of AP Financial that involved the fraudulent acquisition of homes, police said.

Police said that Becerril and his cohorts may have defrauded dozens of victims of millions of dollars.

Prosecutors alleged that Becerril defrauded Merman, a Russian-born elementary school teacher, and one other victim out of $1.4 million.

Becerril, police alleged, owed Merman $250,000 and stole an additional $300,000 from his investment accounts. Police said there is evidence to tie Becerril to Merman’s killing, which took place shortly after he discovered the financial advisor had stolen his money.

Prosecutors on Monday did not specify how the financial charges were linked with Merman’s killing.

Prosecutors said Becerril, along with his wife Sandra, sister Rebekah and Abram Guajardo defrauded a woman out of her Covina home. The three were charged Monday with grand theft, money laundering and forgery.