Photo Leads to Scuffle With Ely

A newspaper photographer said she was only a little shaken following a scuffle with James T. (Tom) Ely, who was convicted along with his wife of conspiracy and embezzlement in Ventura County Superior Court on Tuesday. Victoria Sayer, a photographer for the Ventura County Star-Free Press, had her foot stomped by the trustee, who was wearing cowboy boots, after she took a photo against his wishes.

“He just lunged at me,” she said. “He crammed his boot heel into my foot and then he tried to step on my camera.”

Ely later defended his actions, saying he had warned the photographer not to take his picture.

“I found her conduct to be extremely assaultive,” he said, “and I was defending my wife and myself from that assault.”

The incident occurred a few minutes after Ely and his wife, Ingrid, were convicted of stealing $15,000 from the Ventura County Community College District by padding their expense accounts.

After the Ventura County Superior Court jury delivered its guilty verdicts, the Elys were escorted by their attorneys out of the courthouse through a back door.

They were sitting in a county office across from the courthouse at the Government Center when they were confronted by a group of reporters and photographers.

Sayer stepped forward and immediately began taking pictures of the couple, over Tom Ely’s angry objections.

“If you take another picture, I’m going to take your camera away,” Ely said, shaking his finger at the photographer.

When Sayer proceeded to snap another picture, Ely knocked the camera out of her hand. Ely, wearing brown-leather boots, then began stomping on the camera.

In the process, Sayer said, Ely stomped on her foot. She was wearing soft-leather moccasins.

“I have a right to be here,” Sayer said. “He does not have a right to attack me.”

Sayer later gave a report of the incident to sheriff’s deputies. The report will be turned over to the district attorney’s office, authorities said.

Sayer, who was walking with a limp afterward, said she planned to have a doctor examine her foot.

Steve Chawkins, managing editor of the Star Free Press, said he will discuss the incident with Sayer today and decide what, if any, action the newspaper will request.

Beyond that, he said, “I’ll let the event speak for itself.”