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.
The case involved two San Diego properties and more than $962,000 in sale proceeds. Homeland Security Investigations and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the scheme, while Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Beeler and David Kete prosecuted the case.
Fake Emails and Forged Documents Kept the Owners Out of the Sales
Members of the conspiracy created email addresses closely resembling those belonging to the legitimate property owners and used them to communicate with people involved in marketing and selling the real estate.
The transactions were conducted entirely through email, allowing the conspirators to avoid meeting buyers in person and conceal their identities. Once a sale was arranged, they used forged property transfer documents that falsely appeared to bear the actual owner’s signature.
Villalobos and Montoya admitted opening bank accounts using business names similar to those of the legitimate owners. Closing proceeds from the unauthorized sales were then deposited into accounts they controlled and transferred abroad.
Two Property Sales Produced More Than $962,000
One transaction involved 3873 36th Street in San Diego. Montoya admitted receiving $400,748.41 from the fraudulent sale and transmitting nearly all of the money to bank accounts in Mexico in April 2023.
A second transaction involving 555 Hollister Street generated $561,463.25. Villalobos withdrew those proceeds through international wire transfers to accounts in Mexico and Jordan, along with cash withdrawals.
Earlier federal records described the targeted properties as vacant or undeveloped real estate. In one transaction, investigators said Villalobos impersonated the recorded owner of a parcel of vacant land and opened a bank account in his own name while claiming to do business as the entity that actually owned the property.
Federal Agents Arrested Them After a Flight From Mexico
Federal agents arrested Villalobos and Montoya on November 25, 2025, when they arrived at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston on a flight from Mexico. They appeared in federal court in Houston the following day on wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft charges.
The original complaint included photographic evidence showing Villalobos dropping off forms needed to complete one of the fraudulent property sales. Bank surveillance footage also showed Montoya withdrawing money from an account that received proceeds from another transaction, both alone and with Villalobos.
A federal grand jury later returned a 15-count indictment charging the pair with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, conspiracy to launder money and money laundering. The case was ultimately resolved when the couple pleaded guilty to bank fraud charges in June 2026, leading to their September sentences.
Vacant Property Owners Can Watch for Unauthorized Sale Activity
The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center warns that criminals can obtain property owner information from public records, data brokers, stolen account information and phishing schemes before creating fake identification, email addresses and phone numbers.
Property owners, particularly those with vacant parcels, can check whether their county recorder, register of deeds, county appraisal district or county clerk offers notification services that send an email or text when a legal document is recorded using their name.
Buyers and real estate professionals should also watch for warning signs identified by the FBI, including sellers who communicate only by email or text and refuse to meet in person, pressure to close a deal quickly, inconsistent information about the property and requests to send proceeds to an account under a different name or in an unrelated location.
For buyers, the FBI recommends sending a certified letter to the address listed on the property’s land tax record to help verify that the purported seller is legitimate. Property owners can also review their title insurance policies to determine whether they provide protection against forgery or cover legal costs associated with restoring ownership.
Suspected property owner impersonation fraud can be reported to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov. Reports can include email and IP addresses, phone numbers, social media accounts, bank account information and details about other people involved in the transaction.