FOOD TRUCK BUILDER CONVICTED IN $993,000 FRAUD

🚨 A California food truck builder has been convicted in a fraud scheme prosecutors put at roughly $993,000.

Fernando Jauregui Ochoa, 30, owned 8A Food Trucks in Ceres. The Los Angeles Times reports he built a following on social media as a trustworthy builder, drawing aspiring food truck owners, many of them immigrants, who handed over their savings.

Stanislaus County prosecutors say the trucks and trailers were never delivered as promised. They allege the money went to drugs, vacations and other personal luxuries. The Times notes posts of him on jet skis and beside a black Corvette.

He was convicted of 18 counts of obtaining money by fraud, with an allegation the total exceeded $500,000, plus one count of witness intimidation. Prosecutors also secured an aggravating factor that he targeted vulnerable victims based on their immigration status.

He was ordered to pay restitution and is scheduled to receive a 20-year prison sentence. Sentencing is set for Oct. 30.

The investigation began in April 2023 after the District Attorney's Bureau of Investigation received multiple complaints. He was arrested April 16, 2024. Prosecutors say more than 40 victims were defrauded.

One victim told The Times many of those who lost money were farmworkers, some of whom borrowed from family in Mexico. A Times analysis found 15 alleged victims claiming more than $475,000 in losses.

How much would you hand a stranger before you asked for proof of the build?

#fraud #foodtruck #california #smallbusiness #causeanuproar