A former Conejo Valley resident has been sentenced to state prison for his role in a fraudulent investment scheme involving a project focused on reducing drunk driving.
Prosecutors say George Ronald Russell bilked people out of more than a million dollars, claiming major investors had committed to buying a pamphlet he created to reduce impaired driving. They say the 68-year-old man promised significant returns, and even staged fake phone calls and texts with a company which was supposedly a major investor.
Russell pled guilty to 18 felony counts ranging from grand theft from an elder to money laundering.
In addition to a four year state prison sentence, Russell was ordered to pay nearly $1.2 million dollars in restitution.
