Jenifer ‘Jenifer Rios’ Singh convicted in connection with rental fraud scheme
VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. – Jenifer Singh, also known as Jenifer Rios, of Thousand Oaks pled guilty to two felony counts of grand theft in connection with a Ventura County-based rental fraud scheme.
In December of 2023, Singh posted advertisements at a Thousand Oaks laundromat of a home for rent in Simi Valley and a local family called the listed phone number on the flyer and spoke with Singh who claimed she was authorized to lease the property stated the Ventura County District Attorney's Office in a press release Tuesday.
The family paid Singh $2,500 in cash to rent the home in January of 2024, but never moved in and Singh never refunded the money she accepted as a rental deposit detailed the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
According to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office, an investigation revealed that Singh did not own the home and was not authorized to lease the property by the true owner.
In March of 2024, Singh posted an advertisement for the same Simi Valley home as before on Facebook Marketplace and a Simi Valley family saw the post and contacted the number listed in the online advertisement shared the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
Shortly after receiving the call, Singh met with the Simi Valley family at the home, claimed she was authorized to lease the property, and collected $3000 in cash as a deposit explained the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
Singh received an additional $1000 in cash from the Simi Valley family after claiming she needed a medical procedure added the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
The Ventura County District Attorney's Office noted that at the time, Singh was still not the owner of the home nor authorized to lease the property and Singh never returned the $4000 in cash collected from the Simi Valley family.
Singh was arrested on Dec. 8, 2024 at the Newark Airport in New Jersey while attempting to board a flight to Paris, France and she was extradited back to Ventura County shortly after explained the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
The Ventura County District Attorney's Office stated that Singh is currently scheduled for sentencing on Aug. 26 of this year where she faces up to three years and eight months in jail.
This case was investigated by the District Attorney's Office Real Estate Fraud Unit, the Ventura County Sheriff's Office Fugitive Unit, and the Essex County Prosecutor's Office in Newark and Senior Deputy District Attorney Dominic Kardum prosecuted the case shared the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
