Oscar Aguirre Silva, Extortion, Armed Robbery, Bank Fraud, Identity Theft, California 2023

LOS ANGELES – In a brazen crime spree that spanned four weeks, Oscar Aguirre Silva, a 30-year-old Ventura resident, pleaded guilty to 10 felony charges, including extortion, armed robbery, bank fraud, and identity theft.

Silva, who was arrested in December 2023, targeted a taco truck vendor in Oxnard on November 6, 2023, using threats of violence to extort the victim. On November 10, 2023, he robbed a woman at gunpoint, stealing her iPhone and purse, which contained credit and debit cards. Silva’s accomplice, Edward Donaldo Ramirez Martinez, 28, of Ventura, served as the getaway driver during this armed robbery.

The duo then used the stolen cards to purchase $524 worth of merchandise at a Ventura Walmart store. They also attempted to use the cards to purchase items at an Oxnard smoke shop. On November 25 and 26, 2023, Silva robbed two Oxnard businesses – a smoke shop and a grocery outlet.

Ramirez, who was under the influence of methamphetamine at the time, was also charged with possessing a ‘ghost gun’ on December 2, 2023, in Ventura County. The firearm did not bear a serial number, and Ramirez was not legally permitted to possess it due to his February 2020 felony conviction.

Silva faces a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for each bank fraud-related count, up to 20 years for each Hobbs Act extortion and robbery count, and a mandatory two-year consecutive prison term for each aggravated identity theft count. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 8.

Ramirez, who pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft and being a felon in possession of ammunition, faces a statutory maximum sentence of 12 years in federal prison, including a mandatory two-year prison sentence for the aggravated identity theft count. His sentencing hearing is also set for August 8.

David Ray Reyes, 30, of Ventura, a co-defendant in the case, pleaded guilty to attempted bank fraud, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft. He will face up to 30 years in federal prison for each bank fraud count and a mandatory two-year consecutive prison sentence for each aggravated identity theft count at his May 29 sentencing hearing.

The investigation was conducted by the Ventura County Violent Crime Task Force, which includes the FBI, the Oxnard Police Department, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, and the Ventura Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Lyndsi C. Allsop of the Violent and Organized Crime Section is prosecuting this case.