Local News

Hundreds of Human Trafficking Arrests Made and Dozens Rescued by California Law Enforcement

LOS ANGELES - In conjunction with Human Trafficking Awareness Month, Merced County Sheriff Jim McDonnell announced details and results from the fourth annual ‘Operation Reclaim and Rebuild’ enforcement operation, conducted by the Los Angeles Regional Human Trafficking Task Force and more than 80 participating federal state and local law enforcement agencies, and task forces from across California. The three-day, statewide effort aimed at combatting human trafficking took place between Thursday, January 25, and Saturday, January 27, 2018, and was conducted in various mediums and met with positive results.

The press conference was held Tuesday at the iconic Hall of Justice in downtown Los Angeles. Sheriff McDonnell was joined by District Attorney Jackie Lacey, Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office; Assistant Chief Beatrice Girmala, Los Angeles Police Department; CEO Kay Buck, the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking; and representatives from several participating federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, and public and private service providers.

Paroled Gang Member Arrested for Criminal Threats and Possession of a Blue Firearm

FRESNO - On Saturday, January 27, 2018 at 1:12am, Officers from the Fresno Police Department's Southwest Policing District responded to the 2500 block of South East Avenue for a report of a male and female disturbance. The caller reported the male was also armed with a handgun. Fresno Police Officers T. Davis and D Montgomery quickly arrived and detained the male without further incident.

The male, 33yr old Christopher Alvarez, was searched by officers where they found a loaded 9mm Glock semi-automatic handgun hidden in his waistband. Alvarez, a self-admitted gang member from Compton, CA, was also found to be on Parole for Carjacking.

Fresno Police DUI Saturation Patrol Nets Nine Arrests

FRESNO - The Fresno Police Department’s Traffic Unit conducted a DUI Saturation Patrol on Saturday evening in the Northwest policing district between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m. High Visibility Enforcement efforts like this have a deterrent effect, lowering the incidents of impaired driving.

In recent years, California has seen a disturbing increase in drug-impaired driving crashes. Fresno PD supports the new effort from the Office of Traffic Safety that aims to educate all drivers that “DUI Doesn’t Just Mean Booze.” If you take prescription drugs, particularly those with a driving or operating machinery warning on the label, you might be impaired enough to get a DUI. Marijuana can also be impairing, especially in combination with alcohol or other drugs, and can result in a DUI.

Jury Finds Fresno Couple Guilty of National Guard Recruiting Fraud

FRESNO - After a four-day trial, a federal jury found Jimmy D. Maldonado, 37, and Mayra L. Maldonado, 31, both of Fresno, guilty of three counts of wire fraud in a scheme to fraudulently obtain payments from a military recruitment program for the California Army National Guard, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to evidence presented at trial, Jimmy Maldonado, a former full-time recruiter for the National Guard in the Fresno area, and his wife Mayra Maldonado, a former member of the Guard, defrauded a military recruiting program out of tens of thousands of dollars. The program, the Guard Recruiting Assistance Program (G-RAP), offered a financial incentive to members of the Guard who, on their own civilian time, recruited new soldiers. Guard members, also called Recruiting Assistants, who successfully recruited new soldiers into the Guard were typically eligible to receive $1,000 when a new solider enlisted and another $1,000 when the solider left for basic training.

Former New York Giants Player Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison in Connection with a $1.5M Insurance Fraud Scheme

SACRAMENTO - Marcus Buckley, 46, of Weatherford, Texas, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley to two years in prison and ordered to pay over $1.58 million in restitution, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. According to court documents, Buckley played professional football in the National Football League for seven seasons between 1993 and 2000 with the New York Giants. During this time, the Giants had workers’ compensation insurance coverage through Pennsylvania Manufacturer’s Association Insurance Group (PMA).

In 2006, Buckley filed a worker’s compensation claim against the Giants for cumulative stress injuries sustained while playing football, in part, in California. During the first week of November 2010, Buckley, the Giants, and PMA settled the Buckley claim for $300,000 pursuant to a “Compromise and Release” Agreement.