Man Gets Probation for White Collar Crimes

A Thousand Oaks man was sentenced to five years probation after pleading guilty to various white-collar crimes.

Edward Houston Sr., who served in Vietnam, was also ordered by Ventura County Superior Court Judge Patricia Murphy to perform 300 hours of community service “bettering the lives of other veterans.”

Houston used his deceased father’s identification to purchase two homes in 2001 and also had multiple California driver’s licenses with fictitious names.

Prosecutors claimed Houston forged documents to transfer property from himself to family members.

Houston’s lawyer, William Tomasi, told the court the crimes committed were victimless.

The judge also sentenced Houston to one year in jail but stayed the sentence and set a review for September 2011. She also ordered him to pay $500 in court costs and undergo counseling.

Prior to sentencing, Houston asked the judge to sentence him under a state law that provides milder sentences for veterans with post-traumatic-stress-disorder.