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ederal prosecutors in San Diego County have charged two Mexican nationals, Victor Hugo Villalobos Almazan and Nayeli Noemi Montoya Rodriguez, with a $930,000 scheme that defrauded buyers of vacant lots. The indictment, filed by a grand jury, accuses the pair of posing as legitimate owners, forging deeds and notary stamps, and selling parcels that were not theirs. On November 25, 2025, the suspects were arrested at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport after arriving from Mexico. The 15‑count complaint alleges that, from an unspecified start date through April 2023, the conspirators fabricated ownership documents and completed bogus sales to unsuspecting purchasers. Prosecutors say the proceeds were funneled into bank accounts and then moved abroad through wire transfers to launder the money. “Their operation shows how far fraudsters will go to exploit real‑estate markets and financial systems,” said Tyler Hatcher, special agent in charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation Los Angeles field office, adding that the defendants betrayed innocent buyers. The indictment also seeks forfeiture of more than $87,000 seized from a U.S. account and other assets linked to the fraud.