California Man Sentenced to Nearly Eight Years in $10 Million Real Estate Fraud and Money Laundering Scheme

A 26-year-old California man has been sentenced to seven years and 10 months in federal prison for his role in a $10 million real estate fraud scheme involving fake identities, shell companies, fabricated property documents and the laundering of proceeds through Las Vegas casinos.

Gilberto Barron, formerly of Delano and Las Vegas, was sentenced on September 28, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston. He pleaded guilty on June 29 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering and aggravated identity theft.

The scheme operated during 2021 and 2022 and involved properties that the conspirators did not own and had no authority to sell. According to court records, Barron worked with Seth Depiano, a federal inmate already serving a 12-year sentence for a separate multimillion-dollar fraud case, and other participants.

The group created false identities for purported real estate agents and established shell companies with names resembling legitimate real estate businesses. Using those identities and companies, the conspirators advertised properties online to prospective buyers in California's Central Valley and elsewhere.

Some of the properties belonged to individuals who had died. The conspirators presented the properties as legitimate opportunities, sometimes at discounted prices, and communicated with prospective buyers using the false identities.

Buyers were provided with fabricated deeds, title reports and other property records intended to make the transactions appear legitimate.

After obtaining money from prospective buyers, the conspirators moved a significant portion of the proceeds through Las Vegas casinos. According to court records, members of the group placed large amounts of money into gaming machines and then cashed out after little or no gambling activity.

Some of the proceeds were later used to acquire properties for the conspirators' own benefit.

Zahria Barber, 29, of Las Vegas, also pleaded guilty to her involvement in the scheme and was sentenced on June 29, 2026, to one year in prison. Prosecutors said Barber assisted with laundering proceeds through casinos and received payments toward living expenses and student loans.

Depiano pleaded guilty and was sentenced in January 2026 to an additional nine years in federal prison. Because he was already serving a 12-year sentence for an earlier fraud conviction, his total federal prison term became 21 years.

The investigation was conducted by IRS Criminal Investigation and the Bakersfield Police Department, with assistance from the FBI and the Nevada Attorney General's Office.

Federal prosecutors said the real estate fraud scheme involved approximately $10 million.

By fLEXI tEAM