A San Diego County judge on Tuesday bound a 33-year-old man for trial on dozens of felony counts after prosecutors said he used forged documents and identity theft to seize his foster mother's property and money before her remains were discovered on her Valley Center ranch.
Cedric Charles Von Ferdinand pleaded not guilty to 41 counts, including forgery, identity theft and grand theft, in connection with transactions that prosecutors say stripped retired family law attorney Nadine Jett, 65, of assets while she was battling pancreatic cancer. Von Ferdinand has not been charged in Jett's death.
Prosecutors allege Von Ferdinand transferred millions of dollars in real property and nearly $500,000 in cash into his own name and used the funds to buy a Los Angeles property. A notary, Raymond Joseph Alto, 45, was separately charged for allegedly assisting in creating a power of attorney that placed Von Ferdinand in control of Jett's assets and for aiding in the transfers. Authorities say signatures were forged and that Von Ferdinand's fingerprints were used in some documents.
Defense attorney Kerry Steigerwalt said the property transfers and cash were "without question" legally transferred to Von Ferdinand. Prosecutors, citing testimony from Jett's legal assistant, said a Zoom call in January 2024 discussed the transfers. The legal assistant's testimony was reported by local outlets.
The case unfolded after Jett's foster daughters, quadruplets known as the Lucci sisters, grew concerned when they lost contact with their mother. Jett was last seen at her roughly $1 million Valley Center home around Christmas 2023, the sisters told The San Diego Union-Tribune. They said Von Ferdinand, who had been acting as Jett's caretaker while she was ill, repeatedly told them she was too ill to speak and later said she had died and been cremated in Mexico.
After the sisters filed a missing-person report, a realtor who had been involved with the property raised alarms when Von Ferdinand attempted to sell the ranch without producing a death certificate. Realtor Noel Lawton told reporters he saw records showing Von Ferdinand listed as owner but was unable to obtain a death certificate, which prompted title and escrow concerns. Lawton also said Von Ferdinand had requested that the new owner plant a rose garden in Jett's memory; prosecutors say Jett's remains were found in the area where the proposed garden would have been planted.
Police served a search warrant at the Valley Center property in July and located human remains; investigators confirmed the discovery in August, according to law enforcement statements. Authorities have not publicly disclosed cause of death and no homicide charges have been filed.
Members of Jett's family have accused Von Ferdinand of diverting their mother's assets to pay for his legal defense and of neglecting other foster children. The Lucci sisters told local media that Von Ferdinand had no steady employment or independent income and questioned how he was financing legal counsel.
Prosecutors argued to the judge that sufficient evidence exists to proceed to trial on the financial crimes. The court's decision to bind the case for trial does not resolve the allegations; defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The case highlights issues that have drawn increasing public and legislative attention in recent years: financial exploitation of elderly or ill individuals, the responsibilities of notaries and other fiduciaries, and the mechanisms by which property and powers of attorney can be transferred. Jett's background as a retired family law attorney drew additional scrutiny from observers and family members who questioned how contested transfers occurred while she was reportedly ill.
Arraignment and pretrial schedules were not immediately available. Prosecutors have filed multiple counts tied to the property transfers and alleged theft of cash and other assets; the notary faces related charges for his role in the transactions. Further court proceedings will determine whether the case goes to trial and will address any additional investigative findings.
Authorities ask anyone with information about the matter to contact the San Diego County Sheriff's Department. News organizations that reported on the case cited court filings, statements from family members and local law enforcement as sources for their coverage.