Santa Paula resident Refugio Cortez (DOB 07/18/86) was sentenced to 4 years 4 months state prison, Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced today. Cortez was previously convicted by a jury on July 17, 2024, of a dozen felony counts of unlawful possession of guns and ammunition. The convictions included 11 felony counts of owning, possessing, or controlling a firearm by a felon and one felony count of being a person prohibited from possessing ammunition. He was found not guilty of one misdemeanor count of identity theft.
Deputy District Attorney Hyla Schneir, a member of the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office General Trials Unit, prosecuted the case.
“As a prohibited person, the Defendant’s illegal possession of firearms and ammunition posed a danger to our community,” Ms. Schneir said. “The sentence in this case reflects the seriousness of this conduct.”