Big Valley News
Central Valley's Independent News Source
FRESNO - Felipe Angeles Valdez-Colima (Valdez), 36, of Michoacán, Mexico was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for conspiring to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute marijuana in the Kiavah Wilderness area of the Sequoia National Forest, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd ordered Valdez to pay $7,620 in restitution to the U.S. Forest Service for the damage he caused to the National Forest.
FRESNO - A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment on Thursday against Francisco Fernandez, 26, of Earlimart, charging him with possessing cocaine for distribution, unlawfully possessing a machinegun, and possession of an unregistered firearm, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, on April 19, 2019, agents searched Fernandez’s residence and storage unit and found cocaine, several assault rifles, a Glock pistol that was converted into a machinegun, and several auto sears. An auto sear is a part that is used to convert a semi‑automatic pistol into a fully automatic machinegun. Fernandez is prohibited from possessing firearms because he is an unlawful user of cocaine.
SACRAMENTO - Sixteen members and associates of a prison-based gang have been charged after a long-running investigation into drug trafficking and murders inside and outside of California’s prisons. Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott, and Special Agent in Charge Chris Nielsen of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) made the announcement.
According to a criminal complaint unsealed today, nine defendants have been arrested on federal racketeering and other charges for extensive, organized criminal activity from within California’s most secure prisons. The allegations include murders, drug trafficking and other violent crimes. The complaint charges California State Prison inmates Ronald Yandell, 56; Daniel “Danny” Troxell, 66; William Sylvester, 51; Travis Burhop, 46; Brant Daniel, 44; Donald Mazza, 48, Pat Brady, 48; Michael Torres, 55; and Jason Corbett, 47. At the outset of this investigation, Yandell, Troxell, Sylvester, Burhop, Torres and Corbett were all serving life sentences for murder.
MADERA – A Madera High School student has been arrested for making a threat Monday to shoot up the school on Thursday, a day before graduation. Police arrested the student after he wrote a message on the wall of a bathroom stall implying violence against Madera High School.
School officials found the threat was found Monday and police with the help of the school’s staff and administrators, officers identified the student and made an arrest. The student has claimed the written statement was a practical joke and he meant no harm. Facebook reports say the threat was written in blood or red ink.
CHOWCHILLA - Last Wednesday afternoon officers of the Chowchilla Police Department responded to the 200 block of Alameda Ave. for reports of gun fire and a subject shot inside of a vehicle. Upon arriving on scene, officers located a vehicle which had wrecked into a residential fence.
The solo occupant driver inside of the vehicle, was found to have suffered from several gun shot wounds. Officers began rendering life saving procedures while awaiting for the arrival of paramedics. Once the paramedics arrived on scene, the driver was immediately transported to a hospital for the life threatening injuries.
