Ventura County District Attorney charges San Diego man with 26 felonies for stealing more than $1 million
VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. – The Ventura County District Attorney's Office announced on Monday that an 84-year-old San Diego man was charged with 26 felonies for his role in a fraudulent scheme in which more than $1 million was stolen from a 94-year-old Ventura widow.
Worthey Tobe Smith, Jr. is alleged to have obtained 24 checks from the victim totaling $1.14 million, according to the District Attorney's Office.
Investigation found that in 2020, an unidentified co-conspirator lured the victim into believing she had won a large grant over a series of phone calls, but that she needed to contribute money before she received it, the District Attorney's Office said.
After obtaining the checks, Smith is accused of negotiating 22 of them, converting $1 million of the funds into cashier's checks that he sent to another co-conspirator in Michigan.
Smith also obtained a debit card that was linked to the victim's account and used it to steal more than $15,000 through unauthorized withdrawals, the District Attorney's Office said.
Smith was arrested on April 12, and arraigned in Ventura County Superior Court on Monday.
He pled not guilty, and is currently in custody at the Ventura County Jail with a bail set at $500,000.