KVTA News Briefs
Monday December 16, 2024
The United States Attorney's Office says that a Ventura County doctor has been sentenced after pleading guilty to Medicare fraud.
69-year-old Dr. Victor Contreras of Santa Paula was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison and ordered to pay almost $3.3 million in restitution.
Federal prosecutors say Contreras was part of a conspiracy to defraud Medicare by making claims for unnecessary hospice services when he worked for two Pasadena hospices.
They alleged that he and two other people were part of a scheme to submit the claims knowing that the patients did not qualify for hospice care under Medicare's guidelines.
One of the other defendants has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial next year while the third defendant, a woman who controlled both hospice companies, remains at large.
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A Simi Valley man has been convicted of child sexual abuse.
The Ventura County District Attorney's Office said that a jury found 53-year-old Antonio Canseco guilty of two felony counts of lewd acts upon a child.
And they found true the special allegations that Canseco committed substantial sexual conduct.
The remaining aggravating factors were found true by the judge.
The investigation into Canseco began almost four years ago when the authorities became aware of allegations that he had molested an 8-year-old and that it had started about a year earlier.
He had gained access through a familial relationship.
Canseco remains free on bail and will be sentenced on January 14th.
He faces a maximum possible sentence of ten years in state prison.
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An Oxnard man was reported in critical condition after being struck on his bicycle by a car Friday morning.
It happened shortly before 8 AM.
Oxnard police say the 44-year-old Oxnard man was riding his bicycle westbound on First Street.
They say when he entered the intersection with Roosevelt Avenue he was struck by a car driven by a 20-year-old Oxnard resident.
The bicyclist was ejected and was taken to VCMC with major injuries.
The drive stayed at the scene and cooperated with investigators.
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The Ventura County District Attorney's Office has filed a juvenile petition in the case of a 17-year-old from Simi Valley accused of possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material.
The teenager is also accused of using a minor for sex acts, possessing more than 600 images, and that the images include sado-masochistic acts.
This is another case where the authorities found out about it from several reports from service providers and social media sites.
It's alleged that the material involved victims as young as infants.
The 17-year-old suspect was in Juvenile Court last week and is due back for further proceedings at the end of December.
Until then the juvenile remains detained in a Juvenile Facility in Oxnard.
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Oxnard police say they are now in what's called their Winter DUI Enforcement Mobilization.
It will last through New Year's Day.
Every day and every shift will have extra officers on patrol looking for impaired drivers in Oxnard.
And this Friday, December 20th, from 6 PM to 1 AM there will be another DUI/DL checkpoint somewhere in the city of Oxnard.
They are also reminding everyone that impaired doesn't just mean alcohol but rather anyone that can impair your ability to drive safely.
It can also mean cannabis, illegal drugs, and prescription medication whether obtained legally or not.
And they are asking everyone to be on the lookout for impaired drivers and if you see one, call 9-1-1.
They say the effort is to make sure everyone makes it through the holidays safe and sound.
