Attempt to Commit Real Estate Fraud in Oxnard Results in Conviction

An Oxnard man was convicted by a jury on September 30, 2026, of filing a false and forged grant deed in an attempt to take ownership of a $4.8 million home in the Oxnard Shores neighborhood — a case prosecutors say underscores the vulnerability of the county's public property records to paper fraud.

Khambray Antoine Holloway, 34, was found guilty in Ventura County Superior Court of filing a false or forged document, according to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office. The conviction followed a scheme that began in July 2025, when Holloway recorded a fraudulent, notarized grant deed with the Ventura County Recorder's Office claiming ownership of the Oxnard Shores residence. The Vida Newspaper first reported the conviction earlier this month.

How the Scheme Unfolded

According to prosecutors, the Oxnard Shores property was owned through a limited liability company, and the LLC had never authorized any transfer of the home to Holloway. The documents he filed contained telling irregularities — most notably, no signature from an authorized grantor. Investigators later confirmed directly with the property's owners that they had not given Holloway permission to transfer or claim ownership of the residence.

But the fraudulent recording was only the beginning. Prosecutors said Holloway continued to assert that he owned the home and returned to the property on multiple occasions. On at least two of those visits, he contacted locksmiths and attempted to have the locks changed, presenting the same fraudulent documents as evidence that he was the rightful homeowner.

The case highlights a little-understood reality of California real estate: recording a deed with the county is largely a clerical act. County recorders generally do not verify whether a deed's signatures are genuine or whether the person filing it actually owns the property. That makes the recorder's office a potential entry point for fraud — and makes detection dependent on vigilance by property owners, title companies, and neighbors.

A "$4.8 Million Home" Taken "With a Few Pieces of Paper"

Deputy District Attorney Meighann Mahoney, who prosecuted the case, framed the conviction in stark terms.

"This case was about trying to take a $4.8 million home with a few pieces of paper," Mahoney said in a statement. "The defendant claimed an ownership interest he did not have and then used it in a deed. This conviction recognizes the importance of protecting the integrity of our public records and holding people accountable when they knowingly use false information to try to obtain someone else's property."

The jury's verdict came after trial in Ventura County Superior Court. Following the announcement, Holloway was remanded into custody, where he remains with bail set at $20,000.

Why This Matters to Oxnard Homeowners

Oxnard Shores, a beachfront enclave on the city's western edge, is home to some of the most valuable real estate in Ventura County, and a $4.8 million valuation places this property squarely among the area's high-end residences. But real estate fraud through forged deeds — sometimes called deed fraud or title theft — is not a crime limited to luxury homes. Elderly homeowners, absentee owners of vacant land, and owners of inherited property are frequent targets nationwide, because fraudsters bet that the true owner won't notice a recording until damage is done.

For local property owners, the case is a reminder of practical protective steps: the Ventura County Recorder's Office offers services that allow owners to be alerted when documents are recorded against their property, and title insurance and regular reviews of one's recorded documents can surface fraudulent filings early. Owners of property held in an LLC or trust — as this Oxnard Shores home was — should pay particular attention, since entity-owned properties may be monitored less closely by the individuals behind them.

The conviction also signals how prosecutors intend to treat record-filing fraud: not as a paperwork technicality, but as an attempted theft of the full value of a home. The District Attorney's Office emphasized that protecting the integrity of public records was central to the case.

What Comes Next

Holloway is scheduled to be sentenced on October 28, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. in courtroom 12 of the Ventura County Superior Court. He remains in custody pending that hearing. Prosecutors have not publicly detailed the sentence they will seek, and the range of possible penalties will depend on the specific count of conviction and any enhancements applied at sentencing.

The case number and further court details are available through Ventura County Superior Court. Residents who suspect fraudulent activity involving their own property records can contact the Ventura County Recorder's Office or the District Attorney's Office, and property owners are encouraged to periodically check recorded documents against their ownership history.

For now, the owners of the Oxnard Shores home retain what a jury affirmed was always theirs — and Ventura County's public records carry a fresh warning for anyone who might try the same gambit: a few pieces of paper, in the end, bought a conviction instead of a $4.8 million house.

This article is based on reporting by [Vida Newspaper](https://vidanewspaper.com/2026/10/06/attempt-to-commit-fraud-results-in-conviction/) and a press release from the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.