Foster son of dead Valley Center woman facing forgery, identity theft charges

The foster son of a Valley Center woman whose skeletal remains were found buried on her ranch earlier this year is in court to determine whether he will go to trial on a litany of charges related to the alleged fraudulent use of the woman’s identity.

Cedric Von Ferdinand, 33, is accused of using 65-year-old Nadine Jett’s identity to take hundreds of thousands of dollars from her bank account, give himself power of attorney and transfer her properties to his name.

Also charged in the case is Escondido-based notary public Raymond Joseph Alto, 45, who is accused of notarizing documents that prosecutors allege bore Jett’s forged signature.

Jett was reported missing, prompting sheriff’s investigators to search her 20-acre Oak Creek Road property in July, where they found her buried remains.

Exactly how and when Jett died remains uncertain, and no arrests have been made in connection with her death.

A sheriff’s statement issued last month read, “Detectives with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office continue to pursue all leads and are working diligently to uncover the circumstances surrounding Ms. Jett’s death.”

Von Ferdinand had been acting as a caregiver for Jett, a retired attorney who was battling pancreatic cancer just before her disappearance.

Tiffany Lucci, one of four sisters whom Jett also fostered, was allegedly told by Von Ferdinand that Jett died in Mexico around Easter of 2024, according to testimony from District Attorney’s Office Investigator Mark Kelley during Friday’s preliminary hearing in San Diego Superior Court.

District Attorney’s Office investigators sought death certificates in both Mexico and the United States, but found nothing, Kelley testified.

James Horst, another District Attorney’s Office investigator, said a woman who formerly cared for animals on Jett’s ranch was told by Von Ferdinand in January of 2024 that her services would no longer be needed because Jett had died about a week prior.

In the months that followed, Von Ferdinand was given power of attorney, and Jett’s ranch, as well as two properties in Los Angeles County, were transferred to him.

Von Ferdinand also purchased another residence in Los Angeles County, allegedly with money wired from Jett’s bank account. Prosecutors also allege Von Ferdinand siphoned thousands of dollars from Jett’s accounts until about mid-2024.

Von Ferdinand’s defense attorney, Kerry Steigerwalt, argued the money and properties were willingly transferred by Jett to his client and that all the documents feature Jett’s signature “without question.”

Steigerwalt called a legal assistant to the stand, who testified that she spoke with Jett over Zoom calls intended to facilitate transferring her properties to Von Ferdinand. The legal assistant testified that though Jett looked “frail,” she appeared aware of what she was doing.

Steigerwalt said the case against his client “was pushed onto the D.A.’s Office” by the Lucci sisters. The attorney said Jett “didn’t want to have anything to do with the girls,” as opposed to Von Ferdinand, who quit his job in order to care for Jett full-time.

Von Ferdinand is charged with nearly three dozen counts, including forgery, identity theft and grand theft, while Alto faces eight counts, including perjury, forgery and identity theft. Both men remain out of custody.

The preliminary hearing is set to conclude on Tuesday, when attorneys will make their final arguments to Superior Court Judge Lisa Rodriguez.