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RE/MAX agent sentenced for forgery, ordered to repay victims
Daniel Montano pleaded guilty to four felony counts after forging clients’ names on transaction documents
A photo illustration of RE/MAX agent Daniel Montano (Getty, RE/MAX)
A California real estate agent will go to jail for six months for forging clients’ signatures on documents.
Daniel Montano, 29, a licensed agent with RE/MAX Gold Coast Realtors will also repay more than $100,000 in restitution and serve two years of probation, Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko said in a Wednesday press release. He has already repaid $68,500 to his victims.
Montano was arrested in November 2022 and pleaded not guilty to 15 counts of theft and forgery, according to Inman. Then in August, he changed his plea to guilty on four counts of forgery. He also admitted that “the crimes indicated planning, sophistication and professionalism, and that he took advantage of a position of trust and confidence when he committed the offenses,” the release said.
In 2020, the RE/MAX agent forged his victims signatures on multiple California Association of Realtors forms. He then sent the documents to escrow on the sale of properties in Ventura, according to the prosecution.
“County residents rightfully place a lot of trust in real estate agents they choose to represent their families,” said Dominic Kardum, who prosecuted the case. “When those agents violate that trust, the District Attorney’s Office will hold those individuals responsible by vigorously investigating and prosecuting their violations of the law.”
Montano cannot practice real estate until his probation ends.
— Caysey Welton