Photo: Stock Image
Written By: Robert L. McCullough
February 8, 2023 – Ventura County, Ca. The spokesman for the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department East County Major Crimes Unit, Detective Sergeant Rob Yoos has today announced the arrest of Canoga Park, Ca. resident Christopher McCloud pursuant to painstaking investigation lasting several months throughout 2022.
According to Yoos, McCloud was contacted by Simi Valley resident Richard Diament last year who recruited him to “recover money” from an individual whom Diament had “hired to perform a construction project” which “could not be completed.” The funds paid to this individual “had not been returned,” leading Diament to provide McCloud with the identity, residence address, and other information specific to the individual’s family.
At that point, McCloud made contact with the victim, identifying himself as being affiliated with a criminal street gang and threatening him with “consequences” should he fail to return the money paid to him by Diament within “a set amount of time.”
Perhaps fearing for the safety of himself and his family, the victim alerted VCSD detectives to those threats, whereupon the Major Crimes Unit initiated the investigation which ultimately lead to McCloud’s arrest on December 14, 2022. He was booked into Ventura County Jail on charges of Attempted Extortion and Stalking. McCloud was released from custody after posting bond on $100,000 bail.
Diament, for his part, reportedly fled to the state of Montana, resulting in the issuance of a warrant for his arrest on “full extradition terms.” On February 7 th , U.S Marshals Service served the warrant in Montana and took Diament into custody; he is currently enroute back to Ventura County, where he will be charged with Solicitation to Commit Extortion.
