Real estate fraudster gets 7 years in prison

For release on May 22, 2023

CONTACT:

Victoria Robinson
Deputy District Attorney
Real Estate Fraud Unit 
(408) 808-3799

 Real estate fraudster gets 7 years in prison

A Santa Clara County Superior Court judge sentenced a Southern California man to more than seven years in state prison for fraudulently promising immigrant families that he could help them buy new homes or save their old ones from foreclosure.

Jesus Lim, 63, of Lancaster, ended up stealing more than $1 million from more than two dozen local families. They ended up with nothing - and often lost both their money and homes. In one case, a victim lost $370,000.

In one of the largest real estate fraud cases prosecuted in Santa Clara County, Lim was convicted earlier this month by plea of eight counts of grand theft, three counts conspiracy, all felonies, and an enhancement for aggravated white-collar crime. The restitution hearing is on June 26, 2023, in Department 32 in the Hall of Justice, in San Jose.

“The defendant promised an immigrant’s American Dream and then destroyed it,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said. “Some people may feel that fraud is not that big of a deal anymore. We care. Judges care. Con artists should care, too, because prison is at stake.”

Lim, also known as “Jes Lim,” used recruiters to convince his victims that he could refinance their homes through his network of fake “non-profits” with names such as “CASA” and “ICAN-CASA.” Instead, Lim took the last of their money and gave them no help.

He also promised other prospective homeowners – many of whom did not qualify for traditional mortgages in the infamously expensive Silicon Valley real estate market – an inside line on buying foreclosed homes. If they paid to become “members” of his organization and paid him percentages of the homes “worth,” he would deliver homes to buy at low rates. None of this was true.

Lim took thousands of dollars of the victims’ money, often their life savings.

The investigation into Lim was handled by District Attorney Investigator Justin DeOliveira of the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Real Estate Fraud Unit. To make a report of real estate fraud, contact the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office Real Estate Fraud Unit at [email protected] or (408) 792-2879.                                              

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