Ventura men sentenced to prison for extortion
A pair of Ventura County men were sentenced to federal prison on Aug. 8 for their role in a crime spree in late 2023 which included extortion, robbery and more.
Oscar Aguirre Silva, 31, of Ventura, was sentenced to six years in federal prison and, in a separate hearing, Edward Donaldo Ramirez Martinez, 28, of Ventura, was sentenced to 4.5 years in federal prison by United States District Judge Hernán D. Vera.
On top of their sentences, Judge Vera ordered Silva to pay $2,941 in restitution and Martinez to pay $1,597 in restitution.
According to an Aug. 8 press release, the pairs’ crime spree included extorting a taco truck vendor, robbing two small businesses in Oxnard — a smoke shop and a grocery outlet — and fraudulently using debit and credit cards from a victim robbed at gunpoint.
Silva pleaded guilty on April 25 to one count of interference with commerce by extortion, two counts of interference with commerce by robbery, three counts of bank fraud, two counts of attempted bank fraud, and two counts of aggravated identity theft.
Ramirez also pleaded guilty on April 25 to one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition.
“The victims in this case were people just trying to make a living by operating a food truck when they were allegedly robbed at gunpoint, United States Attorney Martin Estrada said in a press release.
“Violent gun crime tears at the fabric of our society. Punishing those who engage in violent gun offenses is and will continue to be a priority for my office. Our community deserves no less.”
Assistant United States Attorney Lyndsi C. Allsop of the Violent and Organized Crime Section prosecuted this case.
