A local private investigator who has worked on high-profile cases, including the Michael Jackson molestation trial, is back on the job despite facing a felony charge that he impersonated a public officer, investigator or inspector.

Jesus Castillo, whose business La Mancha Investigations is based in Santa Maria, said he is “more than confident” that he will be acquitted of the allegation against him, which was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

“We will win this case and move on,” he said.

Castillo was arrested Nov. 24 by Santa Maria police after they were notified that Castillo had a warrant out of Los Angeles County on suspicion of impersonating a peace officer, according to police.

Castillo said he spent three nights in Los Angeles County Jail before he posted bail, and was released early Thanksgiving morning.

His bail was set at $250,000, police said.

Castillo's attorney, Robert Sanger, said that his client's legal troubles stem from Castillo's interview of a witness in a “very significant case” that Sanger is not an attorney on.

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The allegations are that Castillo told the woman he was interviewing that he was a prosecutor, Sanger said.

He wanted to make clear that he generally does not comment on pending cases, but is making an exception because he feels misleading information was released on the Castillo matter.

Detective Brown with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, who declined to reveal his first name citing safety concerns, said that Castillo committed the alleged crime in Palmdale in early November.

Brown declined to discuss evidence in the case in detail.

A spokeswoman for the District Attorney's Office in Los Angeles County said Tuesday that a prosecutor had not yet been assigned to the case.

The case is due in court on Dec. 10, she said.

“First of all, why would a defense investigator want to tell somebody that he is a prosecutor?” Sanger asked.

He said Castillo told the witness who he was, and gave her his business card, which has his name, business name and private investigator's license number on it.

“In this particular case, it appears that there is no basis for these charges,” Sanger said.

The attorney, who counts the Michael Jackson case among the matters he has worked with Castillo on, said his client is a respected investigator.

Jackson was found not guilty of all charges at the conclusion of his trial in 2005. Castillo is retired from the U.S. Air Force, where he was also an investigator, Sanger said.

“He's a very valued member of the defense community,” Sanger said.

Castillo, who said he has been a private investigator since 1994, said he is not worried about his job being affected by his arrest.

“I have zero concerns about my reputation or my business,” he said. “These guys had no clue who they were arresting down there.”

December 3, 2008