SERIAL SCAMMER SENTENCED TO 3 YEARS 4 MONTHS FOR THEFT RELATED TO MORTGAGE AND TANDA SCAM

Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni announced today that Esmeralda Hernandez Pulido, age 36 and a resident of Salinas, was sentenced to 3 years and 4 months in jail by Judge Jennifer O'Keefe after she pled to four counts of felony theft related to mortgage scams and theft by false pretenses. Hernandez Pulido defrauded at least five victims by claiming she needed cash for the downpayment on a house and promised each that they would be in first position on the deed when in reality she collected well in excess of the value of the house and provided none of the promised return. By lying to each victim about the scale of her borrowing, and by misleading them about how secure their loan was, Hernandez Pulido was able to take substantial amounts of money without any intention of returning it.

Additionally, Hernandez Pulido also stole money from tenants, friends, and acquaintances through the false pretense of participating in an informal savings club known as a "tanda." Instead of making the expected payouts, she simply pocketed the money and then lied to victims asking for their money. The estimated loss to all the victims is in excess of $1 million.

Victims spoke at the sentencing hearing, bravely sharing how these crimes deeply affected them and their financial security. A hearing to determine the full restitution owed to the victims will be set at a later time.

Prosecution of this case was only possible because of the diligent and thorough investigation by District Attorney Investigator Justin Bell.

The Monterey County District Attorney's Office will be vigilant about investigating and prosecuting real estate frauds and other financial crimes. Anyone who has been the victim of a real estate scam, or who has information regarding a potential fraud, should file a complaint with the Monterey County District Attorney's Real Estate Fraud Unit by completing the consumer complaint form located on the Monterey County District Attorney's website and emailing it to [email protected], mailing it to the District Attorney's Office at 1200 Aguajito Road, Suite 301, Monterey, CA 93940, or by calling the District Attorney's Office at (831) 647-7770.