South Bay Real Estate Agent Convicted of Fraud

Sunday, Aug 8, 2010 | Updated 9:45 AM PDT

Getty Images

Campbell real estate agent Robert Carrillo was convicted this week of five felony counts connected to multiple real estate fraud scams spanning three Bay Area counties, according to the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office.

The three scams for which Carrillo, 50, was charged involved six residential properties in Santa Clara, San Mateo, and Alameda counties. Three separate victims were each swindled out of more than $100,000 by Carrillo and his co-conspirator, Cesar Emilio Luna, who is still at large.

Carrillo entered pleas of no contest to charges of grand theft, forgery, and impersonation of a notary public in connection with the three property-flipping schemes.

In one scam, Carrillo stole a San Jose man's identity in order to acquire the titles to three residential properties in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, according to the district attorney's office.

Carrillo and his cohort, Luna, placed their own fingerprints in a notary journal and forged the victim's signature in order to obtain loans for the properties under the victim's name.

In a separate incident, Carrillo convinced a victim in Cupertino to sign a letter authorizing the wrongful transfer of money to Luna. That victim unwittingly helped the men steal $73,200 in escrow on a property.

Carrillo also stole $45,000 from a Cupertino man through the unconsummated purchase of properties in Saratoga and Cupertino under the victim's name.

Carrillo will receive a one-year sentence in county jail as part of a negotiated settlement, but the length of his sentence could be reduced depending on the amount of restitution he pays to the victims by his Jan. 7, 2011 sentencing date.