Bay Area Couple Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Victims of Over Half a Million

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Kendra Dennaoui, 67, of San Mateo, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, Dennaoui and her spouse Dennis Moore (who has already pleaded guilty to the same charge) defrauded their victims by promising to invest their money into real estate deals, but they actually used the victims’ money to continue their fraud schemes and pay for personal expenses. Dennaoui and Moore misappropriated approximately $516,529 in funds from their victims.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Veronica M.A. Alegría is prosecuting the case.

U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley is scheduled to sentence Moore and Dennaoui on Feb. 29, 2024. Dennaoui and Moore each face a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.