Local News

Madera County Vote Centers & Mobile Voting Center Schedules

MADERA - Rebecca Martinez, County Clerk-Recorder and Registrar of Voters announced that prior to the opening of two Vote Centers on October 24, she is providing voters with an additional opportunity to vote in-person, on Saturday, October 10, 2020. Between the hours of 9 am and 1 pm, voters can visit the Elections Division, located in the County Government Center at 200 W. Fourth Street in Madera. Safety protocols will be in place, masks will be available and social distancing will be enforced.

On weekdays, beginning October 1 through October 23, early voting is available in the County Clerk’s office by appointment. To schedule an appointment, call the Elections Division at 800-435-0509. Thereafter, starting on October 24th, Vote Centers will be open daily, including weekends, to serve you – no appointments needed!

DOJ Charges 500+ Domestic Violence-Related Firearm Cases in FY20

SACRAMENTO. – Today, the Department of Justice announced it has charged more than 500 domestic violence cases involving firearms during Fiscal Year (FY) 2020. A Department priority since 2019 when Attorney General William P. Barr created the Department of Justice’s first ever-Domestic Violence Working Group, these charges are the result of the critical law enforcement partnership between United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, led by Acting Director Regina Lombardo, who has made domestic violence firearms-related investigations a priority.

“Keeping firearms out of the hands of dangerous criminal offenders is one of the Department of Justice’s top priorities,” said Attorney General Barr. “This is especially important when it comes to individuals with prior domestic violence convictions. The statistics are clear that when domestic violence offenders have access to guns, their partners and their families are at a much greater risk of falling victim to gun violence. In fact, in some communities across America, roughly half of the homicides are related to domestic violence. The Department of Justice is committed to keeping guns out of the hands of those who are prohibited from having them, and we will continue investigating and prosecuting all domestic violence firearms-related crimes.”

Fresno Man Charged with Offenses Involving the Sexual Exploitation of Minors

FRESNO - A federal grand jury has returned a two-count indictment against Todd Eric Mumma, 57, of Fresno, charging him with actual and attempted sexual exploitation of a minor and receipt of child pornography, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced today. According to court documents, Mumma used hidden digital video recording devices in a residence to create sexually explicit images of a minor.

He edited recordings on a computer and then transferred selected images onto a cellphone where the images were stored in a password‑protected application. A forensic review of devices seized with a search warrant revealed images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct that had been downloaded onto a computer.

Thirteen Charged in Fresno Interstate Multi-Drug Ring

FRESNO - A federal grand jury returned two indictments Thursday arising from a single investigation into a drug trafficking organization operating in California and trafficking drugs to Colorado, Nebraska, Oregon, and Washington, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced today. The grand jury charged Fresno residents Jesus Gonzalez-Burgos, 36, Gabriel Gomez-Nunez, 36, and Jose Rubalcalva Gutierrez Jr., 34, with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl.

The grand jury also charged the following defendants with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl: Juan Alejandro Comparan-Guzman, 34, of Kerman; Quintin Jeuh Carlos-Bañuelos, 25, of Palo Alto; Hector Gomez, 27, of Omaha, Nebraska; Francisco Ramírez, 20, of Fresno; Lorena Ramírez, 36, of Fresno; Christina Maria Nino, 57, of Fresno; Anna Concepcion Jimenez-Ambriz, 21, of Fresno; Rafael Zaragoza, 28, of Fresno; Carol Maldonaldo Vasquez, 32, of Corcoran; and Rita Ann-Marie Louis, 29, of Carnation, Washington.

Southern California Man Pleads Guilty to Burglarizing Kern County Post Office

FRESNO - Ryan James Taylor, 34, of Oxnard, pleaded guilty today to burglary of a post office, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. According to court documents, on Aug. 26, 2018, Taylor forcibly broke into the Mojave Post Office in Kern County and stole United States Mail from the outgoing mail drop bin.

After breaking into the post office, Taylor also stole a United States mail truck. The stolen mail included a Starbucks gift card that Taylor later used to purchase a coffee drink and a check that he endorsed over to himself, all without authorization.