Meet Our Team

Erik Nasarenko

District Attorney

Erik Nasarenko was appointed District Attorney by a 5-0 vote of the Ventura County Board of Supervisors on January 26, 2021, becoming the 24th District Attorney in Ventura County history to lead the office. On June 7, 2022, he was elected District Attorney by Ventura County voters.

Prior to his appointment, Mr. Nasarenko served and protected Ventura County as a Senior Deputy District Attorney, where he secured jury trial convictions against defendants for child molestation, rape, kidnapping and murder. Mr. Nasarenko was named Prosecutor of the Year in 2016 by the Ventura County District Attorney for his advocacy on behalf of children, women, and sexual assault victims. His prosecutorial efforts have resulted in multiple convictions of life imprisonment against some of Ventura County’s worst sexual predators.

Mr. Nasarenko began his career as a Ventura County prosecutor in 2008 and has worked in several different assignments, including misdemeanors, general felonies, serious and violent crimes, DUI-based offenses, domestic violence, child abuse and sexual assault. He has taken more than 60 jury trials to verdict.

Mr. Nasarenko also served as the District Attorney’s representative to Homeless Court, where he visited the Samaritan Center, Salvation Army and Rescue Mission shelters to help rehabilitate our homeless population by dismissing infractions and low-level misdemeanors in exchange for community service and successful completion of drug and alcohol programs. These dismissals enabled individuals to get back on their feet without being burdened by ongoing court fees, license suspensions and the heavy weight of a criminal conviction.

In addition to his prosecutorial responsibilities, Mr. Nasarenko served on the Ventura City Council from 2013 to 2021, where he oversaw a $300 million budget and 650 employees as Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Councilmember.

The son of Ukrainian immigrants who fled the Soviet Union during World War II, Mr. Nasarenko was raised in the San Fernando Valley. His father is a retired aeronautical engineer and his mother a retired history teacher. Mr. Nasarenko graduated from the University of California, Irvine, where he studied history and played intercollegiate soccer. He attended Loyola Law School at night while working in public education during the day.

Mr. Nasarenko is married and has two school-age children. He and his wife of 22 years, Julia, a former elementary school teacher, are ongoing season subscribers of Ventura’s Rubicon Theatre Company and supporters of the Ventura Education Partnership, which provides grants to Ventura Unified School District teachers.

Justice Services

Rachelle Helm Dean

Chief Deputy District Attorney

Rachelle Dean received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from California State University, Fresno in 1997, and her Juris Doctorate from Pepperdine University School of Law in 2000.

Ms. Dean first joined the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office as a law clerk in 1999 while attending law school. She returned to the District Attorney’s Office in 2000 as a Post-bar Law Clerk, and upon admission to the California State Bar, began working as a Deputy District Attorney.

Ms. Dean was a trial prosecutor in the office for more than a decade, handling cases in the Misdemeanor Unit, Sexual Assault Family Protection Unit, General Felony Unit, and Major Narcotics Unit. In 2011, Ms. Dean moved into supervision. She has also supervised the Juvenile Prosecutions Unit, Misdemeanor Unit, General Felony Unit, and Court Operations Unit.

Recognizing that the criminal process is often long and challenging to victims, Ms. Dean has sought ways to improve the process. A life-long dog lover, she initiated the Courthouse Facility Dog Program for this office in June 2020. The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office facility dogs, Star, Trakr, and Comet, provide support to victims and witnesses of the criminal justice system by assisting prosecutors in the investigation and prosecution of crimes.

In April 2021, Ms. Dean was appointed Chief Deputy District Attorney of Justice Services. In this role, she oversees the Misdemeanor Unit, Mental Health Unit, Writs, Appeals & Training Unit, Digital Media Unit, Public Information Officer, and Information Technology Unit.

Victim and Community Services

Michael R. Jump

Chief Deputy District Attorney

Michael Jump earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1993, a Master’s in Environmental Science and Juris Doctorate from Indiana University, Bloomington in 1998. In 1998, Mr. Jump accepted a land & resources attorney position, assisting Alaska Natives with resources planning, management and dispute resolution.

In 2000, Mr. Jump joined the District Attorney’s Office as a grant writer, securing tens of millions of dollars in competitive grants for the District Attorney’s Office and helping to establish the Safe Harbor multidisciplinary interview centers, which provide trauma-informed forensic medico-legal exams to sexual assault and child abuse victims. In 2003, Mr. Jump was sworn in as a Deputy District Attorney and served as a trial prosecutor conducting numerous preliminary hearings, misdemeanor, felony, and serious and violent felony trials.

Mr. Jump served as Director of the office’s Fiscal, Administrative and Legislative Services operations from 2006 to 2015, combining his legal and administrative skills to manage the District Attorney’s budgetary, contractual, human resources, personnel, facilities, and legislative matters.

Mr. Jump was appointed Chief Deputy District Attorney of Victim and Community Services in 2015. In this role, Mr. Jump led the development of the first-ever Family Justice Center in Ventura County and oversees the Office’s Crime Victims’ Assistance Program, the Safe Harbor multidisciplinary interview centers, and Camp HOPE, which collectively provide nearly 20,000 services to crime victims each year. The Family Justice Center is a multi-agency partnership between local government and community-based organizations integrating services at one location for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, elder abuse, dependent adult abuse and human trafficking.

Mr. Jump currently serves as a board member of the California Crime Victims’ Assistance Association, is chair of numerous local committees, and a member of the Community Corrections Partnership–Ventura County, representing victims’ rights and interests.

General Prosecutions

Miles Weiss

Chief Deputy District Attorney

Miles Weiss joined the office in 1994 after graduating from the University of San Diego, School of Law. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1989.

As a trial attorney, Mr. Weiss prosecuted a variety of cases, including DUI, general felonies, violent sex crimes and gang crimes. As a Senior Deputy District Attorney, Mr. Weiss has served as supervisor of the Sexual Assault/Family Protection Unit and the Juvenile Prosecution Unit. He has also been assigned to the Major Crimes Unit where he tried homicide cases.

At the direction of the District Attorney in 2005, Mr. Weiss implemented Ventura County’s Real Estate Fraud Prosecution Program. This program serves as a statewide model and has received grants totaling more than $2 million to combat real estate fraud on behalf of victims. Mr. Weiss is a founding member of the Real Estate Fraud Advisory Team (REFAT), a non-profit group of industry professionals that collaborates to reduce real estate fraud in their communities.

In 2012, Mr. Weiss was promoted to Chief Deputy District Attorney of the Special Prosecutions Division, and in 2017, the Criminal Prosecutions Division. In his current position as Chief Deputy District Attorney of the General Prosecutions Division, Mr. Weiss oversees the Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, and Legal Support Units.

Fiscal, Administrative & Legislative Services

Chuck Hughes

Special Assistant District Attorney

Chuck Hughes earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from UCLA in 1988 and his Juris Doctorate from the UCLA School of Law in 1991. Mr. Hughes first practiced as a civil litigator, then began his career as a prosecutor in January 1994 with the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office. He joined the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office in January 2011.

In more than 25 years as a prosecutor, Mr. Hughes has handled a wide variety of cases, including felony trials, drug trafficking, sex crimes, and murders.

In 2005, Mr. Hughes moved into management at the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office and, after joining the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office, became a manager in April 2012. Recently, Mr. Hughes was assigned to lead the Fiscal, Administrative & Legislative Services Division, which includes oversight of human resources, budgeting, grants administration, facilities, information technology, and state and federal legislation.

For five years, Chuck also taught Trial Practice at the California Southern School of Law.