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On Friday November 17, 2023, Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko and Ventura County Sheriff Jim Fryhoff held a news conference regarding the arrest and the charges filed against Loay Alnaji in the death of Paul Kessler.

Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced today, November 16, 2023, that two felony charges will be filed against Loay Abdelfattah Alnaji (DOB 05/06/73), of Moorpark, in connection with the death of Paul Kessler. Alnaji has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and battery causing serious bodily injury. Both charges have special allegations that Alnaji personally inflicted great bodily injury.

Today, November 16, 2023, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office officially submitted their investigation into the death of Paul Kessler to the District Attorney’s Office. Sheriff’s investigators arrested Loay Alnaji (DOB 05/06/73), at his home in Moorpark this morning. Throughout their investigation, prosecutors have been in daily consultation with the Sheriff’s Office and are finalizing review of the evidence. A charging decision is expected by later today and a status update will be issued at that time.

The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office will have a specialized prosecution team to handle alcohol and drug-impaired driving cases through a $523,621 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS.)  This is the twelfth consecutive year the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office has received the funding for a specialized DUI prosecution program. Last year, the prosecution team filed 1,156 DUI cases, including 105 DUI drug cases and 12 DUI combined alcohol and drug cases.

Human Resources is responsible for administering human resources, employee benefits administration, risk management, labor relations, workers’ compensation benefits, and various other administrative duties for the approximately 300 staff members of the District Attorney’s Office. Staff ensure the consistent interpretation and application of applicable Memoranda of Agreement between the County and various unions, labor laws and the County’s Personnel Rules and Regulations. Employee and witness travel arrangements are also handled by the unit, which involves out of county, out of state and, occasionally, out of country travel. Additionally, staff serve as the office liaison with County HR/Benefits, Labor Relations, Risk Management, and various other county agencies as well as outside vendors. For those interested in employment with the District Attorney’s Office, please visit the county’s web site at www.ventura.org/hr for a listing of current job opportunities.

Grants Administration is responsible for administering and collecting revenue in the form of federal, state and local grants as well as special programs exceeding $20 million annually. Many of these grants are funded from federal and state programs designed to augment the District Attorney’s Office with the resources needed to investigate and prosecute specialized crimes. Grants and dedicated program revenues greatly improve our ability to address the needs of vulnerable populations susceptible to being harmed by crimes involving elder abuse, real estate fraud, workers’ compensation insurance fraud, welfare fraud, and gang violence. Grants administration staff assist with the preparation and submittal of grant progress reports, routine grant renewal applications, program audits and Board of Supervisors agenda items and letters.

Fiscal Services is responsible for administering the fiduciary responsibilities of the District Attorney’s Office by providing professional fiscal oversight and monitoring of the department’s budget. Fiscal staff manages budget preparation and monitoring, payroll, accounts payable, accounts receivable, timely deposit of revenue and coordination of fiscal audits. Additionally, staff maintains accurate financial records and internal fiscal controls to ensure compliance with generally accepted accounting principles, policies and procedures, collect and analyze financial information, and prepare periodic accounting and financial reports. Lastly, staff provides technical advice and assistance regarding fiscal matters as well as ensuring compliance with purchasing procedures and serve as the liaison to the County’s Auditor/Controller’s Office and Purchasing Department.

District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced today that Alexis Ivan Ramirez (DOB 08/30/95), of Ventura, was sentenced to 25 years prison for his actions in a deadly 2016 gang shooting. Ramirez pled guilty on May 1, 2023, to voluntary manslaughter and attempted murder, both felonies. He also admitted to special allegations including gang enhancements.

The Workers’ Compensation Fraud Unit actively investigates and prosecutes crimes involving employees who knowingly make misrepresentations to obtain workers’ compensation benefits to which they are not entitled, or employers who knowingly deny valid workers’ compensation benefits to their employees. Employers and insurance companies that suspect fraudulent claims report cases to the Department of Insurance for investigation which refers cases to the unit’s prosecutors and investigators. Other cases are initiated from undercover investigations into workers’ compensation fraud mills involving unscrupulous attorneys, doctors, and insurance agents. Workers’ compensation fraud causes honest employers to incur increased operating costs due to higher premiums in today’s challenging economic climate. This higher cost of doing business is passed directly to consumers in the form of higher prices for goods and services. Moreover, honest workers who are genuinely injured face delays in receiving benefits because of the closer scrutiny their claims receive. Workers’ compensation fraud prevents healthy…

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The District Attorney’s Office participates in a county-wide truancy reduction program called Truancy Habits Reduced Increases Vital Education (THRIVE). The schools have programs set up to telephone parents each time a minor is absent from school. If a pattern of truancy emerges, a series of three letters are generated to inform parents of their responsibilities and legal ramifications of non-compliance. The student and parent are invited to a conference at the school to discuss the matter. If truancy continues, the student and parent are referred to a School Attendance Review Board (SARB) meeting to discuss the causes of the truancy as well as potential solutions. Every effort is made to come to a resolution that ends truancy. SARBs are active in almost all school districts in the county and consist of educators, mental health professionals, public health nurses, community based organizations, probation officers, and police officers. Deputy district attorneys from…

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