Roger Ochoa is under arrest after trying to rent out a Lehigh Acres home he had no claim to.
According to the Lee County Sheriff’s Department, the house in question is located at 701 West 5th Street in Lehigh Acres. When representatives for the real homeowner got wind that the residence was being listed “for rent” on Craigslist, they decided to take action.
One of the representatives for the homeowner called Roger Ochoa at the listed number and said he was interested in seeing the residence. Ochoa said he’d meet him there, and instructed the victim to go to the back of the residence and enter through the rear door. When the victim did so, he observed the screen had been removed and the door was unlocked. It was the same door the victim had locked the previous evening.
Inside, Ochoa said he needed $3,000 for rent and would present the lease paperwork later. That’s when the victim called deputies, who arrived to catch Ochoa in the act, phony documents and all.
Due to the totality of circumstances and evidence at hand, deputies determined Ochoa did conduct an ongoing course of conduct with the intent to defraud multiple persons.
Deputies arrested Roger Ochoa (DOB 4-22-91) of Hialeah, Florida and charged him with Scheme to Defraud and Burglary of an Unoccupied Residence.
Deputies were able to determine a woman sitting in a vehicle in front of the residence was in on the scheme and charged Yuleidis Vazquez (DOB 9-10-96) of Hialeah, Florida with Scheme to Defraud and Burglary Accessory after the fact.
Detectives believe this couple may have defrauded others in Lee County, especially non-English speaking residents. If you believe you were defrauded by Ochoa and Vazquez, call the Lee County Sheriff’s Office at (239) 477-1000.