(This story has been updated with information from the city of Thousand Oaks and for clarity.)
A former Thousand Oaks building inspector and a man he’s accused of colluding with will stand trial for allegedly soliciting a bribe from a contractor.
Ex-city worker Ray Allen Villanueva III, 59, of Moorpark, and day laborer Jimmy Daniel Coronado, 44, of Oxnard, appeared for their preliminary hearing in Ventura County Superior Court on July 22. A judge found that there was enough evidence in the case for a trial to move forward, according to a Ventura County District Attorney’s Office news release.
Last year, the men were arrested and charged on allegations they solicited a bribe from a contractor in return for a building permit in Thousand Oaks. Each man has since pleaded not guilty, according to court records.
The Oxnard man had been hired by the contractor to work on a project in Thousand Oaks in 2024, the DA’s office said. Work had stalled on the project while the contractor submitted revised building plans to the city’s building and safety department.
Coronado allegedly approached the contractor and solicited a bribe for expediting the approval process, saying he had a contact in the city who could streamline the permitting, DA’s officials said.
The contractor declined and contacted the DA’s office.
DA’s investigators found that from October to December 2024, Villanueva and Coronado had allegedly conspired to extract the bribe from the contractor, officials said.
Villanueva had also approved a final building inspection in the city’s internal permitting system, despite the project being unfinished, the DA’s office said.
The two men were arrested on Sept. 10 but were later released on $20,000 bond each, the DA’s office said. They are scheduled to return to court on Aug. 13.
Villanueva, who had been on paid leave, is no longer a Thousand Oaks city employee, said Alexandra South, a spokesperson for the city, in July 28 email. It was not immediately clear when his employment ended.
“We take this matter very seriously, and the moment the city became aware of the criminal investigation, the employee was placed on administrative leave,” South said.
Ernesto Centeno Araujo covers breaking news for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at ecentenoaraujo@vcstar.com, 805-437-0224 or @ecentenoaraujo on Instagram and X.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Ex-T.O. inspector, man charged for allegedly seeking bribe for permit
Reporting by Ernesto Centeno Araujo, Ventura County Star / Ventura County Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Ernesto Centeno Araujo, Ventura County Star | USA TODAY Network
