A husband and wife who admitted participating in a scheme to sell San Diego properties they did not own have been sentenced to federal custody after nearly $1 million from the fraudulent transactions was routed through accounts they controlled.
Victor Hugo Villalobos Almazan, 48, received 27 months in custody, while his wife, Nayeli Noemi Montoya Rodriguez, also 48, received 10 months. The Mexican nationals entered the United States on tourist visas and were sentenced September 4 by U.S. District Judge Dana M. Sabraw.
The couple pleaded guilty in June to bank fraud charges. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California, co-conspirators impersonated legitimate property owners, used fraudulent documents to transfer real estate and sold the properties to buyers who did not know the sellers lacked the right to sell them…