SAN JOSE — A local event planner has been charged with seven counts of felony grand theft for allegedly stealing thousands of dollars from families who hired him to plan quinceañeras, prosecutors said.
Juan Martin Gaspar, 51 — also known as Juan Martin Barcenas — is a prominent local event planner who helped families plan for their daughters’ 15th birthday parties, but he is accused of accepting large amounts of money from his clients and then not paying the vendors contracted for the events, according to a press release from the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office.
“A quinceañera is a very important event in a young woman’s life,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in a press release. “The memories of that special day should be wonderful ones, not the memory of being ripped off by someone you trusted.”
Dennise Henderson, Gaspar’s defense attorney, said that the case should have been pursued as a civil matter instead of being criminally charged.
“I think the District Attorney is wasting their time. I think they’re wasting court resources,” Henderson said. “It’s clearly a case that can be dealt with has a civil compromise.”
Henderson added that charging the case criminally will allow the victims to access victim funds.
“They could start doing something to get some of their money back, or deal with counseling or whatever, so that’s a good thing,” Henderson added.
Prosecutors allege that Gaspar took the money and did not pay the vendors of at least seven families who contracted his event planning business, VIP Events, in 2023 and 2024. Prosecutors added that the vendors would show up on the day of the planned event demanding pay from the families.
A victim came to the DA’s office after local news reported on Gaspar’s event planning business.
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Gaspar was arraigned Sept. 25, prosecutors said. He was told to not continue his work as an event planner while the case is pending.
Gaspar is currently out of custody on $100,000 bail, prosecutors added. He will next appear in court Dec. 2. If convicted, Gaspar could be sentenced to jail time.
Investigators are looking to find any additional victims and ask anyone with information to contact DA’s Consumer Protection Unit at 408-792-1054 or [email protected].
