OXNARD : Former Card Club Promoters Face Trial
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Two former promoters of an Oxnard card casino will stand trial on a charge that they bilked a consortium of Ventura County investors out of $10,000.
Municipal Judge Vincent J. O’Neill Jr. made the ruling after a preliminary hearing Friday when prosecutors presented evidence they said proves that Michael E. Wooten, 45, and Frank Marasco, 48, stole the money by submitting a false construction voucher in 1992.
The alleged theft was unrelated to the card club proposal, which was rejected by the Oxnard City Council.
Wooten of Camarillo and Marasco of Ventura pleaded not guilty Oct. 12 to one count of grand theft in connection with the alleged scheme.
The defendants were co-owners of the defunct Darrik Marten Co., a Ventura development firm. Prosecution witnesses testified Friday that Wooten and Marasco submitted the $10,000 construction voucher in connection with eight lots that the pair tried to develop in Santa Paula.
O’Neill ordered the men to appear for arraignment Jan. 24 in Superior Court.
The men also face a trial on six misdemeanor counts of money laundering in a separate case stemming from the card-club proposal. That trial is scheduled to start Feb. 21, Deputy Dist. Atty. Jeff G. Bennett said.
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