April 24, 2023
The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office will host a ceremony at Simi Valley City Hall commemorating National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW) on April 27, 2023. This will be the first time the annual event will be held in the east county. The event takes place from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and will include speakers and a march to raise awareness about crime victims. Simi Valley is the third largest city in Ventura County and is home to Safe Harbor East, a county-owned facility that assists victims of sexual violence and human trafficking in a residential, homelike setting. The facility offers sexual assault nurse exams, forensic interviews, and one-on-one counseling. The theme for NCVRW 2023 is “Survivor Voices: Elevate. Engage. Effect Change.” This year’s ceremony will focus on human trafficking and include remarks from Alia Dewees, a dedicated advocate and trafficking survivor working to end human trafficking and empower…
April 21, 2023
On April 20, 2023, Arayveion Edwards (DOB 05/13/97), from Florida, pled not guilty at arraignment in the Ventura County Superior Court. Edwards is charged with six felony counts, including human trafficking, pimping and possession of an unregistered loaded firearm and high-capacity magazines. On April 18, 2023, officers with the Ventura Police Department contacted Edwards regarding an alleged stolen vehicle. During that contact, a female with Edwards pleaded with officers for help. Edwards is accused of bringing the victim from Florida to California and forcing the victim to engage in commercial sex work by using violence and psychological coercion. He is also charged with being in possession of a loaded unregistered firearm and high-capacity magazines at the time of his arrest. Deputy District Attorney Rikole Kelly, a member of the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation Unit, is the prosecutor handling the case. An early disposition conference…
Settlement Reached in Illegal Disposal of Toxic Substance into Ventura Harbor
On April 21, 2023, the Ventura County District Attorney and Silver Bay Seafoods entered a stipulated Final Judgment resolving a civil prosecution relating to the company’s 2021 and 2022 releases of stick water. Stick water is squid ink wastewater which is lethal to fish and marine life due to its high concentration of ammonia. Under the terms of the settlement, Silver Bay Seafoods agreed to pay $36,815, which included $12,500 in penalties to the Ventura County Fish and Wildlife Propagation Fund, $12,500 in penalties to the CDFW Fish and Game Preservation Fund, and $5,000 in civil penalties and $6,815 in investigative costs to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office.
April 20, 2023
On April 20, 2023, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office announced that Austin Allen Eis (DOB 05/29/98), of Camarillo, has been charged with the murder of 15-year-old Wesley W. of Thousand Oaks. Eis has also been charged with four counts of assault with a deadly weapon, use of pepper spray, second-degree commercial burglary, first-degree residential burglary, false imprisonment by violence and three misdemeanor counts of brandishing a knife. He is also facing several special allegations, including three counts of causing great bodily injury. On April 18, 2023, Eis is accused of committing a crime spree throughout Ventura County. Eis is alleged to have entered a Simi Valley Walmart, where he used pepper spray and stabbed one employee, physically assaulted and attempted to drag a second employee and lunged at two additional employees with a knife. After leaving Walmart, Eis is alleged to have fled to a residence in Camarillo and…
April 19, 2023
On April 19, 2023, Jason Armenta (DOB 03/06/01), of Oxnard, was sentenced in Ventura County Superior Court to 50 years to life in prison. Armenta had previously been convicted by a jury on April 26, 2022, of the first-degree murder of Cristobal Gonzalez, a rival gang member. The jury also found Armenta guilty of attempted murder of a second victim, that Armenta personally used a firearm in the commission of the crimes, and that the crimes were committed for the benefit of a criminal street gang. On April 4, 2021, Armenta drove multiple times into a residential neighborhood in south Oxnard, looking for rival gang members and eventually parked and exited his car. Armenta then ran toward a playground area where Mr. Gonzalez was standing and fired numerous rounds from a semi-automatic handgun at Mr. Gonzalez and a second victim. Mr. Gonzalez was struck once in the head and died…
April 14, 2023
On April 13, 2023, Javontay Bess (DOB 03/26/96), of Fresno, pled guilty in Ventura County Superior Court to felony human trafficking, by causing a minor to engage in a commercial sex act. He also admitted to the special allegation of committing the crime while on probation or parole. In May 2019, an alert citizen called the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office to report suspicious circumstances and possible sex trafficking at a Camarillo motel. Ventura County Sheriff’s detectives initiated an investigation into the sexual exploitation of a 16-year-old victim. Both the minor victim as well as the suspect were from outside Ventura County. Detectives ultimately determined that Bess used online advertising to arrange commercial sex acts with the 16-year-old victim at Ventura County motels. Bess is currently serving a prison sentence in Kern County after being convicted of multiple felonies including assault with a firearm, assault on a peace officer and child…
April 10, 2023
On April 7, 2023, Karapet Gasparyan (DOB 06/23/81), and Grigor Gasparyan (DOB 09/07/01), both of North Hollywood, were sentenced in Ventura County Superior Court to 300 days in Ventura County Jail and two years felony probation. The judge also imposed a four-year state prison suspended sentence on both men. The Gasparyans previously pled guilty to unemployment insurance fraud, conspiracy to commit a crime and three counts of grand theft. The guilty pleas included special allegations, including committing two or more related felonies resulting in a loss of more than $100,000. On August 6, 2020, a witness called 911 to report suspicious activity at a Bank of America ATM in Thousand Oaks. Ventura County Sheriff’s deputies responded and conducted a traffic stop. Karapet Gasparyan and Grigor Gasparyan were found to have 200 fraudulent Employment Development Department (EDD) unemployment insurance cards and more than $168,000 cash inside the vehicle. Further investigation by…
April 6, 2023
The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office is warning the public about deceptive letters recently sent to residents. The letters threaten property owners with potential asset levies and/or property seizure. The letters attempt to create a sense of urgency and they include an (800) number to call. Examples of these deceptive correspondence letters are attached to this news release. Ventura County property owners are reminded that if they have a question on the status of their property taxes, they should contact the Ventura County Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office. Legitimate letters from the Ventura County Treasurer-Tax Collector will have a local address and a local telephone number. Residents may call the Ventura County Treasurer-Tax Collector at (805) 654-3744 or send an email to helpinghand@ventura.org. If taxpayers have a question on the status of their state or federal tax liability, they should contact the California Franchise Tax Board (FTB), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS),…
April 4, 2023
On April 4, 2023, Randall Graham (DOB 03/07/78), of Goleta, pled guilty in Ventura County Superior Court to making criminal threats against the Conejo Valley Unified School District. Graham also admitted the special allegation of threatening great bodily harm. The threats against Conejo Unified were made on October 13, 2022. Graham, upset with school district policies, called the district office and left two voicemails threatening to kill the superintendent and others in the superintendent’s office. He was arrested on October 15, 2022, by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office after an investigation by the Thousand Oaks Police Department. Deputy District Attorney Brandon Yeaton, a member of the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office Serious and Violent Felonies unit, prosecuted the case. Graham is scheduled to be sentenced on May 5, 2023, at 9:00 a.m. in courtroom 12 of the Ventura County Superior Court.
April 4, 2023
In recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office is working to raise awareness about sexual violence. Sexual assault is a pervasive and deeply harmful crime that affects individuals and communities across our country. In fact, every 68 seconds someone is the United States is sexually assaulted, according to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network. “In Ventura County, we are fortunate to have the Family Justice Center that can be a resource for victims of sexual assault,” said Victim and Community Services Chief Deputy District Attorney Michael Jump. “The Ventura County Family Justice Center is staffed by District Attorney victim advocates, partners like Coalition for Family Harmony, Interface Children & Family Services, Ventura County Health Care Agency and many other governmental and nonprofit partners. The Family Justice Center assists victims of sexual assault with a free medical exam, assistance obtaining a restraining order, updates about…