San Bernardino Investigators Bust Six In Alleged Swindle That Stole Title To Vacant Land Out From Under Owners & Peddled It To Unwitting Buyers

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

• A $2.1 million dollar fugitive arrest warrant has been issued by the San Bernardino County Superior Court for Salvador Anzo Sr. Between November 2007 and January 2009 Anzo Sr., 44, along with additional suspects Salvador Anzo Jr., 22, Marlen Medina, 26, Jennifer Costa, 37, Yvette Costa, 36, and Milton Figueroa, 23, allegedly conspired to sell vacant land they did not own in the Hesperia area of San Bernardino County. Anzo Sr. recruited the others to assist by using their personal bank accounts to receive the proceeds of the fraudulent land sales.(1)



• According to investigators from the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Real Estate Fraud Unit, the suspects advertised the sale of vacant land in the "Pennysaver" which is how they met the unsuspecting buyers.



• The actual owners of the land were alerted to the sale of their property when their property tax payments were returned to them. In San Bernardino County, the suspects are alleged to have sold 22 separate pieces of property with the total loss to the victims estimated at approximately $980,000.00.

***

• "A lot of these victims who were taken advantage of were elders," said Senior Investigator Tina Greco of the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office. "I just hope that we are able to find him and take him into custody and then locate some of the stolen funds."

Source: Investigators Seek Public’s Help Locating Fugitive in Land Fraud Scheme.

(1) According to the press release:

• Medina was located and arrested in Utah, and was subsequently extradited to the West Valley Detention and is being held there with a bail of $940,924.00 for the San Bernardino County charges, and INS hold and other outstanding warrants from Orange County;



• Anzo Jr. was arrested in San Diego County and transferred to San Bernardino County where he is being held at the Adelanto Detention Center with a bail of $197,266.00;



• Jennifer Costa, Yvette Costa and Figueroa pleaded guilty in plea agreements with the court.

Investigators are seeking the public’s assistance in finding Salvador Anzo Sr. If anyone has information of his whereabouts they are asked to contact Sr. Investigator Tina Greco at 909-891-3348.