Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Using Fake Identity to buy a Luxury Moorpark Home

Press Release Date:

March 7, 2011

District Attorney Gregory D. Totten announced today that Enrique Sandoval Martinez (DOB: 01/19/65), formerly of Thousand Oaks, was sentenced to the maximum term of 15 years imprisonment after a jury convicted him of six felonies involving real estate fraud on December 2, 2010.

In an investigation conducted by the District Attorney Office’s Bureau of Investigation, it was determined that in late 2004 Martinez utilized a fictitious identity to purchase a $1.8 million new luxury home in the Moorpark Country Club Estate development. To further this transaction, Martinez committed grand theft against an individual victim who was led to believe he was investing in the property with Martinez . Martinez , working with Terrance George “Terry” Tucker, convinced this individual victim to take out four simultaneous home equity lines of credit. The victim entrusted Martinez and others with over $788,000 that was withdrawn from these lines of credit.

In reality, Martinez bought the $1.8 million home in the name of “Antonio Padilla” and with Tucker he prepared and presented to lender Washington Mutual numerous false documents in order to obtain a $1.3 million loan. The investigation, conducted with assistance from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and the Department of Motor Vehicles, revealed that Martinez obtained a false identity in the name of Antonio Padilla in 2000 from the former Immigration and Naturalization Service by providing falsified documents and information. Then, using this false identification provided by I.N.S., Martinez was able to obtain a new social security number, California driver’s license and eventually establish a credit profile in the name of Padilla. It was also established at the jury trial that Martinez used a third identity in the name of Miguel Del Rio to conduct banking and acquire other real estate.

The jury convicted Martinez of six felonies: making a false financial statement, grand theft, money laundering, and three counts of causing a false or forged instrument to be recorded. In addition, the jury found true several allegations of excessive taking and committing a series of related felonies involving fraud and the taking of more than $500,000. In imposing the maximum sentence, Judge Patricia Murphy noted aggravating factors including sophistication, a lack of genuine remorse and that Martinez fled the United States when the consequences of his crimes became apparent. An arrest warrant for Martinez was issued on June 1, 2009. He was eventually arrested when he attempted to re-enter the United States from Mexico in March 2010. Tucker and his wife, Sonya “Cheri” Tucker, were previously convicted for unrelated real estate fraud offenses by guilty plea in federal court and are serving their sentences in federal custody.

Contact:

Miles Weiss, Senior Deputy District Attorney
(805)662-1735