For Immediate Release- April 7, 2006
Please Contact Attorney Ron Bamieh at (805) 585-3638, partner with the law firm of Bamieh & Erickson, PLC

Lawyers want search warrants unsealed

A Ventura law firm is asking that search warrants in the case against a woman who pleaded guilty to stealing from people placed under the care of the county Public Guardian's Office be unsealed.

The firm of Bamieh & Erickson is asking that the request be granted at the sentencing of Esther Torres Anaya, scheduled April 19 in Ventura County Superior Court.

Anaya, 32, of Oxnard, was charged with embezzlement, theft, forgery, taking advantage of a position of trust and tax fraud involving half a dozen people placed under court conservatorship.

Anaya was a county welfare employee assigned to the Public Guardian's Office when she began taking the checks; her thefts continued after she was assigned to another office in the same building.

She stole close to $100,000 from September 2003 to April 2005, according to officials.

Bamieh & Erickson represents the daughter of one of the victims, Joan VanAsselt, who is now deceased.

The District Attorney's Office will oppose the request, said Shirley Hayton, who prosecuted the case against Anaya.

Prosecutors will be asking that Anaya's sentencing be postponed for 30 days because Hayton cannot be present April 19.

She said the motion on the search warrants could still be heard at that time.