Woman threatened victims with deportation in avocado Ponzi scheme, CA cops say
A woman stole thousands of dollars in an avocado Ponzi scheme in which she sometimes threatened victims with deportation, California deputies say.
Consuelo Carrasco-Ramirez, 53, of Hemet, was arrested on counts of false pretenses, grand theft and passing counterfeit checks in connection with the two-year long scheme, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office said in an Aug. 22 news release.
Deputies said they got a report of potential fraud in Perris on April 23, 2025.
While speaking to the victim, deputies said they learned seven people “had been lured into investing thousands of dollars into a wholesale avocado business.”
Deputies said they identified Carrasco-Ramirez as a suspect.
Between 2023 and 2025, Carrasco-Ramirez is accused of persuading seven people to invest in a Ponzi scheme, deputies said.
Carrasco-Ramirez frequently targeted Latinos, sometimes threatening to have them deported, deputies said.
Through an investigation, deputies said they learned Carrasco-Ramirez stole about $195,000, which she did not invest but instead spent on personal expenses.
Carrasco-Ramirez, arrested on Wednesday, Aug. 20, is being held on $225,750 bail and scheduled to appear in court Sept. 3, jail records show.
In an Aug. 25 email to McClatchy News, a Riverside County District Attorney’s Office spokesperson said Carrasco-Ramirez “was charged with six counts of theft by false pretenses and the allegation of committing two or more fraud or embezzlement felonies that resulted in the loss of more than $100,000,” adding that she pleaded not guilty to the charges on Aug. 22.
Deputies said they believe there may be additional victims and ask anyone with information to contact them at 951-776-1099.
Perris is about a 70-mile drive east from Los Angeles.
This story was originally published August 25, 2025 at 9:51 AM.
