San Joaquin County Con Artist Who Scammed People Out Of Over $100K Sentenced To 6 Years In Prison

SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY (CBS13) — A 44-year-old con artist was sentenced to six years in prison after being convicted of burglary and scamming family and friends out of over $100,000, prosecutors said.

The San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office said Michelle Zapata, 44, was sentenced on Friday for one count of residential burglary and eight counts of grand theft.

Court records state that Zapatajoined a business called Ambit Energy, through which she met most of her victims. Officials said she used several scams on unsuspecting prey.

One of those scams was claiming she was awarded over $212,000 in a lawsuit but first needed to pay an IRS tax lien of an amount varying between $5-7,000, depending on who she talked to. Officials said Zapata promised to repay everyone back and some went as far as taking out loans to in order to help her.

There was no such settlement that existed.

Prosecutors said Zapata also claimed to be suffering from malady and needed special out-of-state-treatment. Friends and family again supported her financially in this scheme.

Zapata was charged with burglary due to her entering the victims' homes with the intent to defraud them, prosecutors said.

No victims have ever been reimbursed.