Two Mexican nationals are in federal custody after authorities say they flew into Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport and walked straight into the middle of a real estate fraud case that reaches from San Diego to Mexico and Jordan. Prosecutors allege the pair orchestrated a nearly $1 million scheme by selling San Diego properties they did not own, using forged notary signatures, bogus “doing business as” seller accounts, and expedited international wire transfers.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California, Victor Hugo Villalobos Almazan and Nayeli Noemi Montoya Rodriguez were arrested on Tuesday after arriving from Mexico. They appeared in federal court in Houston on Wednesday. An identity and detention hearing is scheduled for this week. Both remain in federal custody, charged in connection with allegedly selling off properties they did not own.
Alleged scheme: fake sellers and fast wires
Prosecutors say the federal complaint alleges that the defendants posed as the recorded owners of vacant or undeveloped San Diego parcels in March and April 2023, using forged notary signatures and opening bank accounts under “doing business as” names to receive the sale proceeds. According to the IRS Criminal Investigation, the scheme generated nearly $1 million from two fraudulent sales, with a significant portion of that money being wired to accounts in Mexico and Jordan within days.
Evidence: photos and surveillance footage
Federal filings and local coverage describe photographic evidence that appears to show one defendant dropping off documents at an escrow company, while bank surveillance footage allegedly captures cash withdrawals tied to the scheme. As reported by FOX 5 San Diego, one of the defendants is accused of selling a property for about $400,000 and was later seen withdrawing thousands of dollars at San Diego ATMs, sometimes with the other suspect present.
Charges, penalties, and investigators
The U.S. Attorney’s Office says both defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. The wire fraud conspiracy count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The aggravated identity theft charge carries a mandatory two-year term that must be served consecutively to any sentence imposed for the underlying felony. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Beeler and David Kete, with Homeland Security Investigations and IRS Criminal Investigation serving as the lead agencies.
How San Diego is fighting title theft…