Temecula Residents Among 14 IE People Indicted on Charges of Defrauding Federal Govt

Two Temecula residents are among 14 Inland Empire people indicted by a federal grand jury on fraud charges, including theft of government benefit funds and passport fraud, a U.S. Justice Department spokesman in L.A. announced Thursday July 11.

Arrest warrants have been issued for Nelida Alcauter, 36, and Maria Altemose, both of Temecula, according to Justice spokesman Thom Mrozek.

Alcauter and Altemose are charged with making false statements to the Department of State to obtain United States passports. These false statements related to, among other things, the defendants' identities, dates and places of birth, and social security numbers, Mrozek said.

Also charged with passport fraud is Angela Alicia Sanker, 56, of San Bernardino, and a warrant has been issued for her arrest as well, Mrozek said.

"Eleven of the 14 indicted defendants are charged with theft of government property," Mrozek said in a statement. "These defendants allegedly took and spent government benefit payments to which they knew they were not entitled."

Some of the alleged crimes involve payments the government issued to the defendants' deceased family members, and others include payments made after defendants made false statements to the government, Mrozek said.

According to the Department of Justice, the 11 defendants charged with theft of government property in excess of $1,000:

• Audrey Owens, 60, of Upland, who is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges on July 24;
• Sarah Rose, 57, of San Bernardino, who is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges on July 24;
• Michele King, 42, of San Bernardino, who is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges on July 24;
• James Cramer, 78, of Banning, for whom an arrest warrant has been issued;
• Wilma Welsh, 82, of Perris, who is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges on July 31;
• Zandria Rhone, 61, of Riverside, who is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges on July 31;
• Thomas Fothergill, 73, of Perris, who is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges on August 7;
• Martin Munoz Villa, 42, of Riverside, who is also charged with aggravated identity theft and who is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges on August 7;
• Josie Lee Anderson, 64, of San Bernardino, who is also charged with submitting a false written statement to a government agency and for whom an arrest warrant has been issued;
• Editha Pagdilao, 66, of Redlands, who is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges on August 7;
  
• and Walton Monagan, 70, of Hemet, who is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges on August 7.