Release Date: September 11, 2009

Contact:

Christopher S. Harman, Senior Deputy District Attorney

(805) 662-1710

District Attorney Gregory D. Totten announced today that Judge Bruce Young sentenced Martin A. Suarez (04/06/68) of Oxnard to serve seven years, four months in state prison for stealing more than $100,000 from 18 different victims in three separate cases. Many of the offenses occurred while Suarez was released on bail in his pending cases. Suarez was also ordered to pay full restitution to all of his victims.

Suarez was initially arrested in February 2008 by the Ventura County District Attorney's Office Bureau of Investigation following an investigation into his use of an elaborate charade to defraud Spanish-speaking victims. Suarez would pretend to help the victims purchase cars at auto auctions in Los Angeles and Orange counties. However, Suarez instead kept the money, including an “inspection fee.” He then used the stolen money to gamble.

Suarez was first released on $50,000 bail on February 17, 2008. While preparing for trial in that case, the Bureau of Investigation uncovered additional victims, a number of whom he defrauded while released on bail in the first case. He was arrested again in August 2008 and his bail was set at $150,000.

He was released on bail in the second case on October 31, 2008. The Bureau of Investigation again discovered additional victims, including four that Suarez defrauded after he had bailed out of jail the second time. He was again arrested in April 2009 and the court set his bail at $2,000,000. He has remained in custody since his April 2009 arrest.