CAMARILLO : 25 May Testify in Tour Operator’s Trial
Ventura County prosecutors plan to bring in about 25 witnesses from around the country to testify against a Camarillo tour operator accused of embezzling more than $200,000 from customers.
Sukh Dev “Dave” Sharma, 55, pleaded not guilty last month to 19 counts of grand theft and 18 counts of travel code violations. He is free on $120,000 bail while he awaits his March trial.
Prosecutors allege that Sharma, who operated Mandala Tours in Camarillo, accepted money from clients for planning trips to the Far East that never materialized.
The $20,000 price tag for housing, feeding and flying in many of the witnesses is expected to be paid by a state fund designed to aid prosecutors in financing consumer protection cases.
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