By El Latino Newsroom
redaccion@latinocc.com
Ventura County Sheriff’s Department detectives arrested a man accused of scamming a 70-year-old Camarillo resident out of $84,000 through an elaborate phone scheme involving someone posing as a McAfee Security employee.
The investigation began in May after patrol deputies from the Camarillo Police Station responded to a theft report. Authorities said the victim received a call from an unknown person claiming to work for “McAfee Security.”
The caller told the man that his bank account information may have been compromised and provided enough accurate bank details to appear legitimate, authorities said.
Over several days, the suspect convinced the victim to withdraw $84,000 in cash and meet with a supposed McAfee Security employee.
The victim was also instructed to provide a verbal security code before handing over the money.
Authorities identified the suspect as Binchao Cen.
The victim later met with Cen and turned over the cash.
Several days afterward, he realized he had been scammed and contacted the Camarillo Police Department.
On June 30, detectives contacted Cen while he was driving to meet with what they believed was another potential victim.
Detectives intervened and took him into custody.
Cen was found with a large amount of cash and a modified air-soft handgun, authorities said.
Detectives later served a search warrant at a residence in the 3000 block of Muscatel Avenue in Rosemead.
Cen was booked into the Pre-Trial Detention Facility on suspicion of theft by false pretenses, grand theft and theft from an elder adult. Bail was set at $500,000.
The Ventura County Sheriff’s Department warned that financial scams have become increasingly sophisticated across Ventura County and nationwide.
Such schemes often involve phone calls, emails or text messages that appear to come from trusted institutions, including banks, law enforcement agencies, the IRS or well-known companies.
Authorities urged residents not to send money or provide personal information if they suspect a scam. They also advised people to independently contact the business, bank or agency involved before taking any action.
Anyone who believes they may have been targeted by a scam can contact the Camarillo Police Station at 805-388-5100, file a report with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center or seek information through the Federal Trade Commission.
TWO ARRESTED FOR LUXURY AUTO THEFT
Ventura County sheriff’s detectives arrested two men after a lengthy investigation into an organized vehicle theft operation accused of targeting luxury and high-performance vehicles across Southern California.
The case began after a 2026 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, valued at about $105,000, was stolen from a Thousand Oaks dealership during the early morning hours of May 19, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office said.
Over the following weeks, detectives used search warrants, physical evidence, covert operations and cooperation with other agencies to identify suspects and uncover what authorities described as a larger criminal enterprise involving stolen vehicles, fraudulent registrations, altered vehicle identification numbers and fictitious license plates.
On July 1, detectives conducted a coordinated operation in Los Angeles County with help from the Ventura County Auto Theft Task Force, Ventura County Organized Retail Theft Task Force, East County Investigations Bureau Property Crimes Unit and the Camarillo Special Enforcement Unit.
The operation led to the arrests of Brandon Taylor and John Ivy on suspicion of vehicle theft, conspiracy and possession of stolen vehicles.
Search warrants served in North Hollywood and Los Angeles resulted in the seizure of blank temporary license plates, high-end vehicle key fobs, fraudulent vehicle documents, electronic devices and other evidence allegedly connected to vehicle theft operations.
Investigators also recovered or seized several high-value vehicles believed to be stolen or fraudulently registered, including a Lamborghini Aventador, two Porsche 911 models, a GMC Hummer EV, a BMW X7 M60i, a Ford Shelby GT500, a Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and a Chevrolet Colorado.
The estimated value of the recovered vehicles and seized evidence exceeds $1.3 million, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities said the Ventura County Auto Theft Task Force played a key role in identifying stolen vehicles, fraudulent registrations, cloned vehicle identification numbers and fictitious plates.
Taylor and Ivy were booked into the Ventura County Pre-Trial Detention Facility.
Bail was set at $250,000 for each defendant.
The case has been submitted to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office.
The investigation remains ongoing.
WOMAN PLEADS GUILTY TO MURDER
A Reseda woman pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the overdose death of a Simi Valley man after prosecutors said she sold him a deadly synthetic drug mixture containing fentanyl and xylazine.
Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced that Charity Faith Wiley, 40, also pleaded guilty to five additional felonies related to drug possession, drug sales, gun possession and money laundering.
“Today’s guilty plea sends a clear message that fentanyl dealers will be held accountable for the lives they destroy. This is the first murder conviction in Ventura County stemming from a fentanyl overdose, and it reflects our commitment to pursuing every appropriate legal avenue against those who knowingly distribute this deadly drug,” Nasarenko said.
The case began June 6, 2024, when the Ventura County Fentanyl and Overdose Crimes Units, known as VC FOCUS, responded to a home in an unincorporated area of Simi Valley for an apparent overdose.
Investigators found drugs and drug paraphernalia in the victim’s room.
Toxicology results showed a lethal amount of fentanyl and xylazine in his system, prosecutors said.
VC FOCUS identified Wiley as the source of the drugs. She was arrested March 5, 2025, at her Los Angeles County home by VC FOCUS and Simi Valley police.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Audry Nafziger said fatal overdose investigations require coordination between law enforcement, forensic experts and prosecutors.
She said investigators were able to trace the drugs back to Wiley and secure what prosecutors called a historic guilty plea.
Wiley is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 1 in Ventura County Superior Court.
She remains in custody without bail and faces 15 years to life in state prison.
In 2025, the Ventura County Medical Examiner reported 216 overdose deaths. Fentanyl or a mixture of fentanyl and other drugs was found in 134 of those victims, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
Information about fentanyl risks and overdose rescue kits is available at ThinkAgainVC.com.
