Daniel Naumann sentenced to 30 days in jail for felony grand theft of water Friday
VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. – On Friday, Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced that Daniel Naumann was sentenced to 30 days in jail, two years formal probation, and ordered to pay restitution after he pled guilty to one felony count of grand theft of water in March.
Naumann was released on probation and ordered to begin his jail sentence at Ventura County Jail on Jun. 17, 2024 stated the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
Prior to Friday's sentencing hearing, Naumann paid $30,000 in restitution shared the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
Naumann owns and operates Naumann Family Farms in Oxnard and was a publicly-elected board member of the United Water Conservation District before resigning ahead of his sentencing explained the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
"While serving as an elected member of a water board responsible for preserving groundwater in Ventura County, the defendant stole groundwater for his own agricultural uses," said Senior Deputy District Attorney Anthony Wold. "Faced with the sophisticated, comprehensive investigation conducted by the Major Crimes Bureau of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, the defendant accepted responsibility and was held accountable for his actions."
Investigators from the Ventura County Sheriff's Office discovered diversion bypasses installed on two commercial water pumps that diverted water illegally to Naumann's crops stated the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
Those bypasses were installed before the water reached flow meters that measure water usage for billing purposes explained the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
According to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office, Naumann pumped $29,301 of groundwater between 2019 and 2021 without paying Fox Canyon Groundwater Management Agency where Naumann previously served as an alternate board member.
