Santa Cruz County man convicted of 20 felonies sentenced to prison
A Santa Cruz County man was sentenced to four years in state prison after he was convicted of 20 felonies and nine misdemeanors.
The District Attorney’s Office said 38-year-old Aaron Kiefer’s crimes spanned over a two-year period and involved 11 victims in the Santa Cruz community.
Kiefer stole more than $15,000 from at least six victims as part of a rental scam, and many of his victims were left without a place to live and no financial ability to rent another home after being defrauded of thousands of dollars.
He also defrauded the county by falsifying information on welfare and food stamp applications. That resulted in him receiving more than $7,000 in benefits he was not entitled to.
Some of Kiefer’s victims were women he dated too. The DA’s Office said he threatened two girlfriends with physical harm and tried to have their children taken from them. He also distributed nude photos and videos of victims to people on social media. Some of the pictures and videos were taken without consent while the victims were unconscious.
During Kiefer’s sentencing, several victims spoke and described their fear of him seeking revenge against them.
“The sheer number of people whom Mr. Kiefer victimized in our community over such a short period of time is astounding. I’m proud of the victims who came forward despite their fear that the defendant would continue to retaliate against them,” said Assistant District Attorney Ilia McKinney.
