After years of tricking people – especially senior citizens – into paying for tree-trimming services he never completed, South County’s landscape scammer will soon be forced to pay for his wrongs.
On January 24, Michael Oliveira, 43 of Gilroy, pled guilty to all 20 counts of theft and elder fraud at the South County Courthouse.
“It was kind of fun in court, it was like count one, guilty. Count two, guilty, count three, guilty,” said Janet Berry, the deputy district attorney prosecuting the case.
Oliveira will be sentenced at the South County Courthouse Thursday.
He is facing time in jail and restitution for all 20 victims as well as five more victims that were not included in the initial charge, Berry said.
Although Oliveira’s charges are serious, sometimes the judge factors in recent behavior when choosing a sentence. If he has cleaned up his act, he has a better chance, Berry said Tuesday.
Unsure of the exact dollar amount Oliveira will have to pay his victims, Berry described it as a “hefty chunk of change.”
Oliveira faces up to 14 years in jail for 12 counts of petty theft and eight counts of misdemeanor elder fraud. The defense has asked for more time to evaluate the case before Oliveira enters a plea.
Oliveira was arrested July 21 in Gilroy, one month after the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office launched an investigation into 18 reports from Gilroy and Morgan Hill residents who claimed they were scammed by a “charming” middle-aged man trolling for money under the guise of an independent landscaper.
“I’d like him to serve some time,” Berry said.
Oliveira was released from custody in July after posting a $25,000 bail.
