Riverside police say a 76-year-old California homeowner was unrelated to Jennifer Renee Lewis but shared a name with Lewis’s late grandmother. Investigators allege Lewis used that matching name and her grandmother’s death certificate to put herself on the title of the woman’s approximately $1 million home.
Lewis, 46, of Lake Elsinore, was serving as administrator of her grandmother’s estate. Detectives say she used that position and a copy of the death certificate to file a fraudulent affidavit that added her to the unrelated homeowner’s property title without the woman’s knowledge or permission.
Police say Lewis then placed the property into escrow and attempted to sell it for $625,000. Investigators also accused her of trying to access the homeowner’s retirement funds and said Lewis admitted taking mail from the woman’s residence.
The Riverside Police Department’s Post-Release Accountability and Compliance Team located Lewis in Lake Elsinore on Sept. 15. She was arrested on allegations involving a false document filed with a government office, elder abuse and grand theft.
A Shared Name Allegedly Became the Basis for the Property Filing
The Riverside Police Department said Lewis’s grandmother had died approximately two years earlier and had the same name as the Riverside homeowner.
Detectives with the department’s Economic Crimes Unit allege Lewis used her grandmother’s death certificate to support a fraudulent affidavit and add herself to the living homeowner’s title. Police first learned about the altered title on June 18, when the approximately $1 million property was being marketed without the owner’s permission.
Police allege Lewis used her position as administrator of her grandmother’s estate, together with the death certificate, to support a filing affecting property owned by an unrelated woman with the same name.
Police Say the $1 Million Home Was Put Into Escrow for $625,000
Riverside Police estimated the property at approximately $1 million and said Lewis attempted to sell it for $625,000.
Police also accused Lewis of attempting to access the homeowner’s retirement funds. Separately, the department said Lewis admitted stealing mail from the woman’s residence.
Sheriff’s Records Confirm the Sept. 15 Arrest and Booking Codes
A Riverside County Sheriff’s Office jail calendar lists Jennifer Renee Lewis under booking number 202645909 and records her arrest date as Sept. 15.
The calendar lists California Penal Code sections 115, 368(d)(2), and 487(a) in connection with the booking.
Under Penal Code Section 115, knowingly procuring or offering a false or forged instrument for filing, registration or recording in a public office is a felony when the document could legally be filed or recorded if genuine.
Section 487 defines grand theft to include theft of money, labor, real property or personal property valued above $950. Section 368 contains California’s criminal provisions involving elders and dependent adults.
Police Said Bail Was Increased to $1 Million Before the Arraignment
Riverside Police said detectives obtained a $1 million bail increase and a source-of-funds hold following Lewis’s arrest. The department said the hold required her to demonstrate that money used to post bail came from a legitimate source.
Patch reported, citing court records, that Lewis pleaded not guilty at her Sept. 18 arraignment and that bail was set at $80,000.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Sept. 18 jail calendar also lists Lewis on that day’s court calendar.
Lewis has not been convicted of the allegations.
Riverside County Mails Notices After Certain Property Documents Are Recorded
Riverside Police urged property owners to keep their contact information current with the County Recorder so notices involving their property can reach them.
The Riverside County Recorder says it has mailed courtesy notices since 2011 when a deed, deed of trust or similar document is recorded. Homeowners who recognize the transaction do not need to act, while owners who receive a notice for a recording they did not authorize are directed to the county’s Real Estate Fraud Unit.
The Riverside County District Attorney identifies real-estate identity theft as a scheme in which someone assumes the true owner’s identity or claims authority to represent the owner, obtains title and then sells the property or borrows against its equity. The office says properties with substantial equity and elderly owners can be targets.
The DA’s real-estate fraud complaint form asks complainants to provide copies of relevant records supporting the complaint, including title documents, escrow or loan paperwork, bank records, checks and correspondence. Riverside County lists its Real Estate Fraud hotline as 877-723-7779.
