⚖️ Welcome to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office!
We’re excited to welcome our fall group of post-bar law clerks! Some are returning for another season with us, while Read moreothers are joining the office for the first time. 🎉
We’re glad to have you here and look forward to having you learn alongside our attorneys and staff and get a firsthand look at the work of a DA's office.
🚗 Labor Day Weekend is here. Slow down.
It’s a busy weekend on our roads, with more people traveling to spend time with family and friends.
Please don’t let a few extra Read moreminutes be worth the risk. Slow down, pay attention and give yourself time to get where you’re going safely.
Speeding kills. Make it home.
NEWS RELEASE:
Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced today that Ronald Wilson (DOB 10/23/52), of Timnath, Colorado, was remanded into custody without bail after the court Read morefound he violated the terms of his pretrial release in his pending sexual assault case. Wilson is currently charged with 13 felony counts involving four alleged victims. The charges stem from allegations dating back to Wilson’s time as a teacher and wrestling coach at Oxnard High School in the 1990s and as recently as 2016 at Camarillo High School.
READ MORE: https://bit.ly/4yGVjz5
Congratulations and happy retirement to DA Investigator Michael Munn! 🎉
After 39 years in Southern California law enforcement, including the last 10 years with the Ventura County DistrictRead more Attorney’s Office, Michael is beginning his next chapter.
Thank you for your decades of service and dedication.
Accessibility and inclusion were at the heart of the 3rd Annual California Government & Disability Summit.
We were proud to have two outstanding representatives from the Ventura County Read moreDistrict Attorney’s Office presenting at the conference: Supervising Senior Deputy District Attorney Melissa McMurdo and Senior Victim Advocate Kellie Tyndall.
Their presentation, “Ensuring Access to Justice: The Intersection of Disability and Crime Victimization,” focused on recognizing ableism within the criminal justice system and identifying ways to improve access to justice for people with disabilities.
The summit brought together advocates, leaders and organizations from across California for meaningful conversations, new connections and shared ideas, all with a common goal of advancing accessibility and inclusion. ♿️💙
Congratulations to recently retired Senior Prosecutor Michelle Contois on receiving the John J. Meehan Career Achievement Award from the California District Attorneys Association (CDAA)!
TheRead more award was presented by former Ventura County District Attorney and current CDAA CEO Greg Totten at the CDAA Annual Conference in Universal City.
Michelle has dedicated 32 years to serving as a prosecutor with the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office. Her commitment to justice, victims and the people of Ventura County has made a lasting impact throughout her remarkable career.
We are proud to celebrate Michelle and this well-deserved recognition. Congratulations 🎉
Recognize this guy? 👀
Ventura County investigators believe Ze Li, of Fremont CA, allegedly acted as a courier for fraudsters targeting elderly residents through computer scams.
Read moreRecently, a victim was falsely told by a scammer posing as “Microsoft” that his account had been compromised. He was instructed to withdraw $25,000 to protect his money and ultimately handed $20,000 in cash to Li.
Investigators believe there may be additional victims. If you recognize Li or believe you were targeted by a similar scam, contact DA Investigator Eric Jensen at 805-662-1750.
🚨 Watch for these red flags:
• Urgent demands to act immediately
• Requests to keep it secret
• Threats of arrest or losing your money
• Requests for gift cards, cryptocurrency, gold or cash
• Instructions not to contact your bank, family or law enforcement
Remember: Legitimate businesses and government agencies will never ask you to withdraw cash and hand it to a stranger to “protect” your money.
NEWS RELEASE:
Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced today that Ze Li (DOB 04/10/91), of Fremont, was charged with stealing $20,000 from an elderly Ventura County resident as Read morepart of an alleged computer fraud scam. Li is charged with one felony count each of grand theft, theft from an elder or dependent adult, attempted grand theft, attempted theft from an elder or dependent adult, and two counts of conspiracy to commit a crime. The charges include special allegations that the victim was particularly vulnerable and that the manner in which the crimes were carried out indicates planning, sophistication, or professionalism.
Li was arraigned on August 31, 2026, and pleaded not guilty to all charges.
READ MORE: https://bit.ly/4yi0jK5
Today, Charity Wiley was sentenced to 15 years to life in state prison for the second degree murder of Devin Kastler, marking Ventura County’s first fentanyl murder conviction.
In this Read morevideo, Devin’s mother, Kristi Kastler, speaks about her son, the devastating loss of his life, and the lasting impact his death has had on his family.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Audry Nafziger and Deputy District Attorney Devin Mirchi, who prosecuted the case, also discuss the case and the importance of holding those who sell deadly fentanyl accountable.
Devin’s life was cut short by a lethal mixture of fentanyl and xylazine. His family will live with that loss forever. Devin is forever 28.
Learn more about the dangers of fentanyl at ThinkAgainVC.com