Four Face Real Estate Fraud Charges Alleging Use Of Forged Deeds, Foreclosure Scams Throughout S. California Victimizing Hundreds, Including Two Cops

From the Office of the San Bernardino County, California District Attorney:

• On Thursday, October 20, 2010, the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Real Estate Fraud Prosecution Unit filed numerous felony real estate fraud charges against Carlos Mendez Torres, 29, his father, Manuel Patlan Torres, 60, associates Oscar Alvarez Macias, 35, and John Anthony Zepeda, 59, all of San Bernardino.

• The suspects were involved in a multiple-jurisdictional foreclosure scheme known as the David Zepeda Trustee Foreclosure Scam,(1) which claimed hundreds of victims in San Bernardino County.

***

• Investigators from the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Real Estate Fraud Prosecution Unit first became aware of the foreclosure scam in late August 2010, after receiving a call from a local realtor. During the criminal investigation, the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office was contacted by the San Diego District Attorney Office, as well as the Los Angeles Police Department, Commercial Crimes, Real Estate Fraud Unit regarding the scam.

• The San Bernardino County Recorder's Office assisted investigators with the criminal investigation by identifying those quitclaim deeds that had fraudulently recorded at their office by the suspects. The investigation disclosed that two of the San Bernardino County properties belonged to law enforcement officers, who were unaware that their names had been forged on quitclaim deeds, or their properties had been rented out.

For the San Bernardino County DA press release, see Numerous Felony Charges Filed in Real Estate Scam.

For a related post on the David Zepeda Trustee Foreclosure Scam, see San Diego DA Bags Pair In Alleged Forged Deed, Bogus Bankruptcy Filing, Rent Skimming Ripoff Affecting 300+ Victims Throughout Five Counties.