A woman wanted for allegedly preying on victims of the Jesusita and Tea Fires who were trying to rebuild her homes was arrested in San Bernardino County this morning, according to the Santa Barbara District Attorney’s office.
Penny Estes, who was recently featured on the Sheriff Department’s Most Wanted List, would allegedly enter into contracts with people who lost their homes in the wildfires, receive large sums of money upfront, but then not fulfill the contract. She ran a company called Green Building America LLC.
A warrant for her arrest was issued earlier this year, and she was tracked down by investigators from the DA’s office. She has been charged with multiple theft and fraud charges, as well as a criminal enhancement of preying upon disaster victims. Estes was booked into the San Bernardino County Jail this morning, and is being held on $2.5 million bail.