Release Date: February 24, 2005

Contact:

Howard A. Wise, Deputy District Attorney

(805) 289-1997  

District Attorney Gregory D. Totten announced today that Erin Volante (DOB 04/08/68), a resident of Simi Valley, was sentenced to 64 months in state prison for committing several thefts in Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley. Volante was convicted of three counts of grand theft and two counts of commercial burglary. Volante also admitted that she stole more than $150,000, used a plan that involved sophistication, abused a position of trust, and was on probation when she committed the grand thefts. The Ventura County Sheriff's Department investigated Volante's grand thefts and the Simi Valley Police Department investigated Volante's chronic bounced checks.

Volante was convicted of engaging in two separate schemes. First, from 1999 through 2001, Volante tricked three victims into investing more than $150,000 into a phony soap product. The victims were family friends and business associates. To further her scheme, Volante counterfeited large purchase orders from department stores to convince her victims that she had large orders for the products. Volante also forged letters from the Target Corporation that falsely claimed that Target was interested in buying Volante's patents and trademarks. Volante never obtained final patents or trademarks.

In Volante's second scheme, she bounced several checks at a number of Simi Valley businesses. In one instance, she bounced two checks that allowed her to purchase a car.

On February 23, 2005, Judge Bruce Clark sentenced Volante to 64 months in state prison. Volante was also ordered to pay restitution of more than $153,000 to her victims.