A 43-year-old woman suspected of extorting a victim for over $100,000 by allegedly threatening to have him deported if he did not pay the money as requested was taken into custody Wednesday.
The Rancho Mirage Special Enforcement Team assumed the investigation after deputies were informed about a victim who had been extorted by Hemet resident Ilivia Yvette Lopez for a significant amount of money in Rancho Mirage on March 4, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office.
On Wednesday, SET investigators apprehended Lopez in the 32000 block of Bob Hope Drive without incident.
Sheriff’s officials stated that another person found at Lopez’s residence and believed to be an accomplice, 67-year-old Bertha Gasso of Hemet, was also taken into custody.
Both suspected were booked into the John Benoit Detention Center on suspicion of multiple theft-related offenses, including extortion.
“Due to the large amount of money involved, a formal “White Collar” crime enhancement will be sought with the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
Anyone with additional information regarding the case was urged to call Rancho Mirage SET Deputy Paull at 760-836-1600.