District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced that several members of an international theft group entered guilty pleas this week to first-degree burglary and conspiracy charges.
Four co-defendants, Laura Espinosa, 26 years of age, Kevin Nino, 27 years of age, Brayan Taborda, 27 years of age, and Johan Zambrano, 37 years of age, all from Colombia, pled guilty on Tuesday, January 17, 2023.
Another member of the group, John Zambrano, 36 years of age, also from Colombia, was sentenced on December 30, 2022, to one year in the Ventura County Jail and 24 months of formal probation.
The theft group is responsible for six different burglaries in Ventura and Los Angeles counties. The charged crimes occurred in May and June 2022 in Thousand Oaks, Camarillo, Simi Valley, and Westlake Village.
Video surveillance evidence provided by several victims and investigative work by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office led law enforcement to the group. In some instances, this group would target victims’ homes after appearing as a food or flower delivery driver. In one case, a home was ransacked and over $15,000 in jewelry, watches and high-end purses were taken.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Brandon Ross, a member of the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office Serious and Violent Felonies Unit, is the dedicated prosecutor who handles international theft group cases. The four co-defendants are scheduled to be sentenced on Wednesday, February 15, 2023, at 9:00 a.m. in courtroom 23 of the Ventura County Superior Court.