SALINAS, California- Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni is pleased to
announce the appointment of Lana Nassoura to the position of Assistant District Attorney.
Ms. Nassoura was born in Beirut, Lebanon. She and her family immigrated to the United States
after they were forced to flee Lebanon during the Lebanese Civil War. She speaks Arabic, French,
and English. Ms. Nassoura earned a Bachelor of Art degree in Political Science/American Politics,
with a minor in Theater, from the University of California, San Diego. She attended law school at
the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, where she earned her Juris Doctor degree
with a concentration in Criminal Law.
Ms. Nassoura has worked as a Deputy District Attorney at the Monterey County District Attorney’s
Office since February 2015. She also has prior experience as a law clerk in the United States
Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California, the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s
Office, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, and the San Mateo County District
Attorney’s Office. In Monterey County, Ms. Nassoura has prosecuted a variety of crimes including
murder, child and adult sexual assault, child abuse, child abduction, domestic violence, assault,
robbery, driving under the influence, and hate crimes. She currently serves as the Co-Director of
the Internship Program at the Monterey County DA’s Office. She serves as a board member at the
Monterey County Rape Crisis Center. Ms. Nassoura is also a board member and Co-Chair of the
Events Committee for the Monterey County Bar Association.
Ms. Nassoura successfully prosecuted a 30-year-old cold case. In 2019, Arsenio Leyva was
convicted of the first-degree murder of a 14-year-old girl whose body was found in a Castroville
artichoke field in 1990. Leyva killed the victim during the commission of a rape. Ms. Nassoura
also secured a guilty conviction against Leyva for the attempted kidnapping and assault with the
intent to commit rape of a 13-year-old Salinas girl in 1993 after Leyva unsuccessfully attempted to
force her into his van as she walked to school.
Ms. Nassoura also successfully prosecuted Alfredo Ramirez. In 2022, a jury found Ramirez guilty
of 11 counts of child molestation and creating child pornography. Alfredo Ramirez was sentenced
to 107 years to life in prison. Ms. Nassoura also secured the conviction of Ignacio Ramirez, who in
2021 was convicted by a jury of sexually assaulting two children and one adult victim. Ignacio
Ramirez was sentenced to 238 years and 8 months to life in prison. Ms. Nassoura prosecuted Jose
Luis Ceja Nunez. In 2021, a jury found Nunez guilty of 19 counts of child molestation upon two
victims, and he was sentenced to 257 years to life in prison.
District Attorney Pacioni stated that “In addition to Ms. Nassoura’s prosecutorial range that she
brings to the position, she has a passion for serving her community, supporting victims of crimes,
and ensuring that the criminal justice system is fair and equitable to all individuals.”
Ms. Nassoura is a welcome addition to the District Attorney’s management team which consists of
Chief Assistant District Attorney Berkley Brannon, Assistant District Attorneys Doug Matheson,
Marisol Mendez and Christopher Knight. She will begin her new position on May 21.
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