3 men plead guilty in $572K burglary at Ventura County Fairgrounds

Almost exactly a year after $572,000 was stolen from the Ventura County Fair and a day after the burglary trial started, three Los Angeles County men pleaded guilty.

Rafael Morales and Jesus Rios, both 56 and accused by prosecutors of leading a crime that triggered scrutiny over fairgrounds security, pleaded guilty Tuesday to four felonies in a settlement. The charges are theft of public funds, commercial burglary, grand theft and conspiracy. The men also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of prowling.

Rafael Morales

Sentencing is set for Sept. 13 in Ventura County Superior Court. The two men agreed to three years, six months in prison and jail including time served, less than the four years they could have faced, said county Senior Deputy District Attorney Marc Leventhal.

Carlos Aranda, 44, of Los Angeles, is alleged to be the driver in the burglary at the Ventura fairgrounds early the morning of Aug. 10, 2022. He pleaded guilty to theft of public funds and is set to be sentenced to a year in jail and then two years’ probation. Additional charges are expected to be withdrawn against Aranda, who has no prior felony convictions.

A fourth man, Alexander Piceno, worked at the fairgrounds and is alleged to be the insider who provided access for Rios and Morales to the administration building where money from fair admissions was kept. Prosecutors said Piceno also helped open the safe. He pleaded guilty in May to three felonies with a grand theft charge withdrawn. He was sentenced to three years in prison.

Jesus Rios

After earlier settlement talks failed, filings and other initial trial proceedings for Morales, Rios and Aranda started Monday in front of Judge Anthony Sabo. Leventhal said the plea-change agreement came after discussions showed the trial could continue for nearly two months and prosecutors would likely be allowed to present evidence of an alleged confession by Aranda when he was arrested.

The prosecutor said it also appeared the door would be opened for evidence he said would show Morales and Rios are a team convicted of partnering on a half-dozen previous crimes, including rooftop burglaries in 2016 in Simi Valley and elsewhere.

Scott Wippert, Aranda’s lawyer, said other motions being considered included his request to empanel one jury for his client and another for the other two defendants. He also asked for Aranda’s statements during his arrest to be excluded from trial.

Carlos Aranda

The settlement is reasonable, Wippert said. He praised prosecutors for looking at the backgrounds of the defendants and treating them differently.

“It’s nice to work with a DA’s office that looks at more than just the facts on paper but also looks at individuals,” he said.

Lawyers for Morales and Rios did not immediately respond to phone calls. Before the trial started, Rios’ lawyer, Martin Zaehringer, said he planned to argue security footage and other records did not clearly identify his client.

The prosecution was expected to use cellphone records in an effort to identify the defendants. Leventhal said the evidence showed calls between the men “pinging” off a cell tower at the fairgrounds.

“When you carry a cellphone, it’s a beacon,” he said.

The phone tracking led prosecutors to believe a fifth person was also involved in the case but there isn’t enough evidence yet for charges, Leventhal said. That person did not work at the fairgrounds.

The high-profile burglary caused fairgrounds leaders to ramp up security. Prosecutors have said very little cash and property was recovered that could be used for restitution. Fairgrounds Board President Leah Lacayo said the chances of the money being recouped do not appear good.

“I doubt that is going to happen,” she said.

Tom Kisken covers health care and other news for the Ventura County Star. Reach him at tom.kisken@vcstar.com or 805-437-0255.

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This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Three men plead guilty in $572K burglary at Ventura County Fair