Title
Receive and accept the Annual Real Estate Fraud Report for Fiscal Year 2025-26 submitted by the District Attorney’s Office in accordance with California Government Code section 27388, subdivision (d).
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
Receive and accept the Annual Real Estate Fraud Report for Fiscal Year 2025-26 submitted by the District Attorney’s Office in accordance with California Government Code section 27388, subdivision (d).
SUMMARY:
The District Attorney’s Office hereby submits its Annual Real Estate Fraud Report for FY 2025 - 26 for the Board of Supervisors to evaluate the District Attorney’s Office’s effectiveness in investigating, prosecuting, and deterring real estate fraud.
DISCUSSION:
The District Attorney’s Office received 27 real estate fraud referrals during FY 2025-26. These referrals came from multiple sources, including local police agencies, private sector professionals, and Monterey County residents. They demonstrate that real estate fraud continues to pose a risk to Monterey County homeowners and residents. The new referrals involved a variety of alleged fraud schemes, including the recording of fraudulent deeds, classic timeshare-related frauds, fraudulent sale of vacant land by impersonating the absentee owner, mortgage loan fraud, and unlicensed real estate activity. Many referrals came from people who have worked with our office in other cases and so know how to spot and report potential fraud. This speaks to the benefit of continued prosecution of these crimes, and the of the value of community outreach.
The District Attorney’s Office has continued to participate in the Monterey County Financial Crime Task Force (MCFCTF), which is a collaboration between the San Francisco Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office whose mission is to identify, investigate, and prosecute individuals engaged in financial crimes, including real estate fraud. On June 24, 2026, Monterey County District Attorney Investigator Justin Bell was sworn in by the FBI and US Marshalls to assist in a large interstate real estate fraud investigation. In working with MCFCTF, the District Attorney’s Office has continued to work work collaboratively to identify and investigate new cases of real estate fraud on a greater scale. All cases identified in this report that were jointly investigated by the MCFCTF are marked with an asterisk (*). MCFCTF cases currently under investigation will be identified once they are filed.
New Referrals & Ongoing Investigations
Of the 27 new referrals, all 27 required investigations beyond customary file review, background checks, and legal research to analyze whether a local or statewide action may be brought that can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt, if criminal, or by a preponderance of the evidence, if civil. These cases require the investment of considerable investigative resources by experienced personnel, including the preparation and execution of search warrants on financial institutions, homes, and places of business, before the District Attorney can make charging decisions. Financial documents obtained in real estate fraud matters typically require analysis of the flow of funds by the District Attorney’s Forensic Auditor to determine the nature and extent of the fraud, and often require coordination with other Monterey County agencies, such as the Clerk-Recorder and Assessor, with state agencies such as the Department of Real Estate (DRE), the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI), and with other counties.
Not included in the statistics above are cases involving vacant land. This year we have received 16 complaints, sometimes many complaints about the same parcel. In these cases a property is listed for sale by someone other than the owner. Many of the listings are anonymous or there is no clear suspect; often the source of the fraudulent listing is international. Investigation does not produce many leads, and the best defense is raising awareness in the community to be mindful of property they own, and to monitor transactions that may occur on that property.
Prosecutions Filed in FY 2025-26
During FY 2025-26, the District Attorney’s Office charged four new cases through the Real Estate Fraud Unit.
• People v. Southwest Exit Strategies, LLC et al.: The People filed a civil complaint against a host of entities doing business under the umbrella of “Southwest Exit Strategies.” Southwest made false statements claiming they could get Californians out of timeshare obligations. Not only was Southwest not licensed to conduct real estate business in the State of California, but they also made material misleading claims during the marketing presentation about how long Southwest had been in business, and what they could actual do to provide relief for consumers.
• People v. Javier and Maria Cueva: The People filed two felony charges for grand theft. Mr. and Ms. Cueva lied about owning a piece of real property, and collected substantial funds from a small business owner looking to start a new venture. Only when the victim was denied necessary licenses because the real property owner denied making the lease did the victim uncover the deception. Arrest warrants were requested, and the defendants remain at large.
• People v. Peter Tressa; People v. Lizette Martinez: The People filed twenty felony charges, including a count of commercial bribery along with grand theft. Mr. Tressa lied to victims who sought a new mortgage, either for the first time or for a refinancing. He claimed that he would be able to “fix” bad credit for victims who did not qualify for a new loan, or alternatively claimed his “fixes” would enable the victims to get a better interest rate on their mortgages. This was a fabrication enabled by Ms. Martinez’s position at a credit bureau, and Mr. Tressa paid her to abuse her position to conduct his scheme. Defendants did not “fix” the victims’ credit scores or provide them with greater access to loans or better interest rates.
• People v. Ramon Alamos Garcia: The People filed two felony charges, with Mr. Garcia charged with one count of filing a false or forged document and one count of forgery. Mr. Garcia objected to his sister’s ownership of a mobile home and forged the previous owner’s signature to attempt to show that Mr. Garcia was the true owner. This false signature was then filed with the State of California to establish Mr. Garcia’s (wrongful) claim to title.
Ongoing Filed Real Estate Fraud Cases
All cases opened in FY 2025-26 are ongoing, and the District Attorney’s Office continues to prosecute the following cases filed in prior years:
• People v. Esmeralda Hernandez Pulido: The People filed 14 felony charges, ranging from theft to mortgage fraud along with special allegations of fraud or deceit in more than two cases causing a cumulative loss of more than $500,000. Ms. Hernandez Pulido purchased two properties in Salinas, which she offered as collateral to various Monterey County residents to induce them to give her money, lying to all of them about the source and purpose of funds and their relative priority positions with respect to the collateral. Additionally, she made material misstatements to mortgage lenders to induce them to provide her with mortgage loans. Ms. Hernandez Pulido has now pled no contest to charges and awaits sentencing.
• People v. Alfred Nevis: The People filed two felony charges, one of filing a false document and one for theft. Mr. Nevis filed a false grant deed with the Monterey County Recorder’s Office, which gave him title ownership over a shopping area in southern Monterey County. Mr. Nevis then approached the commercial tenants of that shopping area and told them to pay their rent to him instead, using his title ownership as the basis for that claim.
Real Estate Fraud Civil Settlements and Criminal Convictions
In FY 2025-26, the District Attorney’s Office obtained a felony criminal conviction in the resolved action involving real estate fraud, and affecting Monterey County residents:
• People v. Larry Seta: The People filed five felony charges, including two counts of forgery and three counts of filing a false or forged document with the Monterey County Recorder. Mr. Seta did not wish to split his deceased father’s house with his siblings and so created several fake grant deeds bearing his deceased father’s signature. These fake documents were filed with the Recorder’s office, and Mr. Seta attempted to evict his sister from the real property in question. Mr. Seta pled no contest to two counts of forgery and was sentenced to 300 days in jail. There is a currently pending motion to deem void the fraudulent filings at the heart of this case, which will permit the victim siblings to move forward with probate.
Public Outreach
The District Attorney continues to engage in public outreach for purposes of educating community members so they can help detect and report real estate fraud in Monterey County. For example, in the fall of 2025, Deputy District Attorney Mirco Haag and Investigator Justin Bell presented at the annual conference for California’s Clerk Recorders. Additionally, District Attorney Investigators assigned to the Real Estate Fraud Unit have presented several times over the last fiscal year on how to detect and protect against real estate fraud. This presentation has been given to various groups around Monterey County including business organizations in an attempt to stop fraud before it happens.
The investigation and successful prosecution, criminal or civil, of real estate fraud activity in Monterey County will continue to be resource intensive. The continued availability of revenue from recording fees is critical to the District Attorney’s Office’s ongoing efforts to deter, detect, investigate, and prosecute real estate fraud cases. To the extent possible, in accordance with Government Code section 27388, subdivision (f), emphasis will continue to be placed on fraud involving the largest number of victims and individuals whose residences are in danger of, or actually in, foreclosure.
Real Estate Fraud Statistics for Fiscal Year 2025-26
New Referrals: 27
Investigations Opened: 27
Joint MCFCTF Investigations: 1
Arrests: 5
New Criminal Complaints Filed: 3
New Civil Complaints Filed: 1
Convictions: 1
Civil Judgments and Compromises: 0
Appeals: 0
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
In FY 2025-26, the District Attorney’s Office worked closely with various state and federal agencies to investigate and prosecute real estate fraud cases. These agencies included the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the California Department of Real Estate, and the real estate fraud units of other California District Attorney’s Offices.
FINANCING:
Total cost of the program for FY 2025-26 was $502,628. Those costs involved investigation and prosecution activities. Total funds available for FY 2025-26 were $288,895, resulting in a Net County Cost of $213,733.
Revenues:
Real Estate Fees $ 288,895
Draw from Real Estate Trust Fund 0
Total Funds Available $ 288,895
Expenditures:
Salaries and Benefits $ 370,021
Services and Supplies 132,607
502,628
Net County Cost ($ 213,733)
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS STRATEGIC INITIATIVES:
Increasing Public Safety through more efficient utilization of resources.
____ Well-Being and Quality of Life
____ Sustainable Infrastructure for the Present and Future
X Safe and Resilient Communities
____ Diverse and Thriving Economy
____ Dynamic Organization and Employer of Choice
Prepared by: Mirco Haag, Deputy District Attorney, Ext. 7713
Bruce Suckow, Finance Manager, Ext. 5259
Approved by: Jeannine M. Pacioni, District Attorney, Ext. 5470