Fugitive Sentenced in Five Felony Cases After Nearly Two Years on the Run
By Redaccion
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District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced today that serial offender and former fugitive George Randall Akrey (DOB 09/06/85), of Moorpark, was sentenced to 16 years state prison. Akrey was convicted and sentenced in five Ventura County cases involving numerous crimes that occurred from 2014 to 2022. Akrey was arrested by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office on January 4, 2024, after 21 months on the run, when a team of deputies captured him in Woodland Hills.
“Over the past decade, the defendant has not only been a serial offender whose crimes caused serious harm to other people, but also someone who consistently disobeyed court orders and put officers and the public at grave risk,” District Attorney Erik Nasarenko said. “Our community will be safer during the years he will spend in custody.”
Akrey’s crimes included a multi-year embezzlement of more than $500,000 from Thousand Oaks Powersports, where he once worked as sales manager; battery of his wife; an evasion in which he attempted to avoid arrest and led deputies on a dangerous vehicle chase through Moorpark; illegal drug possession; identity theft/false personation and preparation of false evidence; and smuggling drugs into jail.
On February 24, 2022, Akrey pled guilty to 13 felonies charged in his first four Ventura cases. He admitted the aggravated white-collar crime enhancement and five allegations that he committed his later crimes while out on bail in his earlier cases. In exchange for his guilty pleas, the court agreed to sentence Akrey to 8 years 4 months prison. Akrey failed to appear in court for his sentencing hearing on April 7, 2022, and warrants for his arrest were issued in all cases.
On May 26, 2022, deputies located Akrey in Lancaster and attempted to arrest him. Akrey refused orders to surrender and used his truck to ram a police vehicle, injuring a deputy. Akrey drove off and collided with a vehicle at a nearby intersection, injuring a civilian and damaging both vehicles. Akrey fled on foot, stole a motorcycle, and escaped. Felony charges relating to this incident are pending in Los Angeles Superior Court, which issued a warrant for Akrey’s arrest.
On June 13, 2022, a deputy unfamiliar with Akrey pulled over a vehicle occupied by two men in Thousand Oaks. Akrey, who was the passenger, falsely identified himself. When the deputy returned to his patrol vehicle to investigate, the driver exited the vehicle and Akrey drove off. A high-speed chase ensued, with Akrey dangerously weaving through traffic on U.S. Highway 101 at a speed of up to 125 mph. Akrey crashed the vehicle and escaped on foot. Akrey was charged with and has now pled guilty to felony evasion for this incident, including allegations that he committed the crime while out on bail in his four earlier cases.
After extensive investigative efforts, personnel from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office determined Akrey was at a hotel in Woodland Hills. On January 4, 2024, deputies observed Akrey get into his truck. Deputies approached Akrey and he refused their commands to surrender, at first using his vehicle to ram the police vehicles and then attempting to escape on foot. Deputies were eventually able to subdue and arrest him. A search of the truck following his arrest uncovered illegal drugs and evidence of suspected identity theft. As Akrey was arrested in Los Angeles County, suspected crimes relating to this incident will be evaluated by the Los Angeles District Attorney for potential prosecution.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Marc Leventhal, a member of the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office Special Prosecutions Unit, prosecuted Akrey’s cases in Ventura County.
