California water board member who admitted to stealing $30K in water sentenced to jail
A man who served as a board member of two Southern California water agencies and admitted to stealing $30,000 in water for his farm has been sentenced to 30 days in jail.
Daniel Naumann, 66, of Camarillo will also have to serve two years of probation and has been ordered to pay restitution.
In March, Naumann admitted to stealing water for his Oxnard farm while serving as an elected board member of the United Water Conservation District. He also previously served as an alternate board member of Fox Canyon Groundwater Management Agency, officials said.
Both agencies manage and preserve groundwater resources for agricultural uses in Ventura County and are responsible for water allocations and charging fees for those who pump groundwater.
Naumann, owner and operator of Naumann Family Farms, installed “diversion bypasses” on two commercial water pumps, an investigation from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office revealed. Those devices diverted pumped water to his farm’s irrigation lines before the water reached the meters that measure water use for billing purposes.
Between 2019 and 2021, Naumann pumped groundwater using those bypass devices, saving himself $29,301 in fees owed to Fox Canyon.
“While serving as an elected member of a water board responsible for preserving groundwater in Ventura County, the defendant stole groundwater for his own agricultural uses,” said Anthony Wold, a member of the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office Public Integrity Unit.
Wold said Naumann accepted responsibility for his actions once faced with a “sophisticated and comprehensive” investigation.
Naumann pleaded guilty to one count of grand theft of water, taking a deal to avoid multiple felony charges.
He resigned from the United board around that time. In his resignation letter, Naumann talked about his more than 30 years of service, but did not mention the criminal case, according to the Ventura County Star.
In addition to his jail sentence, Naumann will have to repay the $30,000 stolen from the water agencies.
He has been released on probation for the time being and is due to report for his jail sentence on June 17.
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