VENTURA : Fraud Case Again Faces Postponement

Amid continued uncertainty over who will represent them, arraignment was postponed again Monday for three men suspected of perpetrating the biggest fraud in Ventura County history.

Olen B. Phillips of Thousand Oaks, Charles J. Francoeur of Agoura Hills and Felix Laumann of Cambria were arrested in early February after an 81-count indictment accused them of conspiracy, grand theft and securities fraud.

Since then, their arraignment has been postponed four times to allow them to line up attorneys.

Phillips and Laumann eventually applied for representation by the public defender’s office. In both cases, officials agreed that the men could not afford to hire private counsel now but may be able to pay back the county after the trial.

The public defender’s office cannot represent more than one defendant in a case because there might be a conflict of interest. Laumann will receive representation from the public defender’s office, while Phillips’ defense has been assigned to Conflict Defense Associates, a group of private attorneys that is under contract to represent indigent clients.

Francoeur applied to the public defender’s office Monday. Michael D. Nasatir, a Santa Monica attorney who has represented Francoeur in bail matters, said they still may work out an arrangement permitting the attorney to keep the case.

James Farley, a Conflict Defense Associates attorney, asked Superior Court Judge Allan L. Steele on Monday to postpone the arraignment another week so he can get assurances that the county will cover the case’s costs.