Two Ventura County men have been taken into custody, implicated in a string of fraud and forgery offenses that have dealt a blow to the local community. The arrests of Alexander Rocha and Montavious Harriel follow a detailed operation by the Fillmore Bureau of Investigation, cracking down on financial crimes that have cost residents of the area thousands of dollars, in an announcement released by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office.
The investigation, which had been ongoing since early this year, came to a head on November 8. Alexander Rocha from Oxnard and Montavious Harriel from Port Hueneme, aged 23 and 24 respectively, were at the center of these operations. After a reported incident brought their activities to the attention of detectives, search warrants led to the discovery of evidence tying them to the alleged crimes. Although searched in October, Rocha was arrested for multiple charges including forgery, and carrying a loaded firearm in a vehicle, as reported by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office.
Weapons were also found during warrant executions. Along with fraud and forgery evidence, several illegal firearms, including assault weapons, were seized from Rocha's possession. His charges comprise violations of several Penal Codes and as of the last report, he was being held at the Pre-Trial Detention Facility, as per the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office. Harriel, found with additional forgery evidence, was arrested and later released on his recognizance, pending court proceedings.
