Fernando Jauregui Ochoa, 30, of Ceres, was convicted of 18 counts of obtaining money by fraud, with an allegation that the total fraud exceeded $500,000; one count of witness intimidation; and an aggravating factor that he targeted vulnerable victims based on their immigration status, according to the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office.
“These individuals trusted Ochoa with their life savings,” District Attorney Jeff Laugero said Friday in a social media post announcing the conviction. “Instead, he exploited their trust and vulnerabilities and stole from them.”