A 62-year-old woman, Rebecca Violette, also known as Rebekah Violette, from Menlo Park, has been sentenced to a two-year and four-month jail term for scamming local landlords out of substantial rental payments. Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen issued a warning, stating, "Renters and landlords should all be cautious. Anyone could fall victim to a well-honed scheme," as reported by the District Attorney's Office website. Violette was known for being an affluent investor on her rental applications, grossly misrepresenting her financial status, and having an extensive record of evictions.
According to the felony charges, Violette deceived several landlords by writing bad checks to cover her initial rent payments and then proceeding to occupy their properties without paying any subsequent rent. This forced landlords into the arduous and costly process of eviction. Through this misconduct, she has been able to reside rent-free in some of Silicon Valley's most expensive neighborhoods. However, this is not her first run-in with the law. She has previously been convicted several times for similar schemes.
The case was diligently pursued by Investigator Jennifer Dalton of the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office Bureau of Investigations. Violette's recent plea encompassed three counts of grand theft, three of passing bad checks, and one of attempted theft. In clever due diligence, one prospective landlord avoided her trap by conducting an online search of her name before finalizing any rental agreement, uncovering her fraudulent intentions.
Judge Daniel Nishigaya handed down the sentence last Wednesday, determining that Violette will spend the first year of her sentence in jail, with the remaining term to be served under mandatory supervision. The sentence draws yet another line in the sand for a justice system grappling with recidivist offenders. In his remarks via the Office of the District Attorney news release, District Attorney Rosen underscored the value of background checks, "We encourage careful background checks before renting to anyone."
