San Pablo woman accused of real estate fraud

Mercedes Gonzales, 25, faces 42 criminal counts related to real estate fraud, and the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office said she victimized 23 people.

MARTINEZ — A San Pablo woman has been indicted by a grand jury in a widespread case of real estate fraud, authorities said Friday.

Mercedes Gonzales, 25, faces 42 criminal counts related to the case, Contra Costa County District Attorney spokesman Scott Alonso said. Authorities say 23 people were victimized.

The indictment was unsealed Friday, and Gonzales pleaded not guilty at her arraignment at Contra Costa County Superior Court, Alonso said.

Earlier this week, Gonzales was charged with grand theft and receiving stolen property in a criminal complaint, he said.

Gonzales is accused of showing houses available for rent and posting about the listings on social media. Authorities said she used an alias to post the listings and claimed she worked at Kaiser Hospital in Richmond. She posted the listings, authorities said, even though she didn’t own the property.

As a result, authorities said, Gonzales created fake rental agreements and collected deposits. The victims paid Gonzales in cash, money orders and cashier’s checks, authorities said.

Investigators from the Richmond Police Department began investigating the case in the spring of 2019 after receiving numerous complaints from victims involved in a real estate scam. In the summer of that year, after Gonzales had been arrested, more allegations of fraud against additional victims came to light, Alonso said.

The investigation is ongoing, and people who think they may have been victimized are urged to call Sgt. Kristopher Tong at 510-620-6668.

Gonzales remained in custody Friday at the the county jail in Richmond in lieu of $540,000 bail.