Police arrest suspects in rental scam

By Mary Manning

Thursday, Sept. 4, 2008 | 3:15 p.m.

A man and a woman have been arrested in what Metro Police described as a vacant home rental scam.

A California resident who owned a vacant home near Russell Road and Jones Boulevard arrived in Las Vegas more than a week ago and found a mother and two children living in the house, police said.

The mother told the owner that she had been renting the home for several months. She said she had signed a contract and had paid rent to a woman she knew as "Melinda Hertz."

The mother gave police handwritten rental receipts. She said that she had seen an ad on the Craigslist Web site offering a house for rent. She spoke by phone to a woman calling herself "Melinda," police said.

"Melinda" claimed to be the landlord and the two women agreed on the amount of monthly rent and deposits totaling several thousand dollars. "Melinda" agreed to meet the mother each month at a different location and directed her to pay the rent in cash only.

Metro's Enterprise area command problem solving unit observed the mother hand over cash to a man and a woman Monday in a nearby restaurant. After the money changed hands, officers moved in and arrested the couple.

"Melinda" was identified as 26-year-old Melissa Cowan of Las Vegas. The man has been identified as 56-year-old Emilio Gonzales of Las Vegas. Gonzales claimed to be a licensed Realtor and had a business card with the name of a local real estate office, police said.

Police are not releasing the name of the real estate office used on the business card because it may have been used as part of the fraud.

The two have been booked into the Clark County Detention Center on three counts each of obtaining money under false pretenses, conspiracy to obtain money under pretenses and a single count of burglary.

Police warn potential renters that all business conducted in restaurants or coffee shops away from any type of formal office indicates a possible rental scam.

A legitimate landlord should be able to provide an actual business address, police said.

All rental contracts and receipts should have business information that can be verified by prospective tenants.

Another indication of a scam is that all business is done in cash, police said.

Police believe that the mother is not the only victim of this scam. Anyone who has rented a house or other property from "Melinda" or Gonzales under similar circumstances is urged to review their documents and contact police if they believe they may be victims.

Those with information regarding the case can contact Officers Zinger at 828-2881 or Farris at 828-4831. Residents can remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 385-5555.