Local News

Sacramento Woman Pleads Guilty to Stealing Social Security Benefits

SACRAMENTO - Shonda Mayshack, 42, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty today to theft of government property, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. According to court documents, in April 2000, the Social Security Administration (SSA) began paying disability benefits to Mayshack’s grandmother.

When the grandmother died in May 2001, Mayshack did not report it to SSA, and SSA continued to mail benefit checks to the grandmother’s address where Mayshack lived. Between May 2001 and February 2017, Mayshack stole approximately $247,933 of her grandmother’s Social Security benefits for her own use, knowing that she was not entitled to the benefits.

Stanislaus County Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a Child

FRESNO - U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd sentenced Adam Alan Henry, 39, of Turlock, today to 20 years in prison to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, for child exploitation offenses, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. During the supervised release, Henry will be required to register as a sex offender, and his access to minors, the internet, and computers will be restricted. He was also ordered to pay $2,500 and $500 in restitution to two victims whose images Henry obtained.

On November 17, 2017, a federal jury in Fresno found Henry guilty of conspiring to sexually exploit a minor and receiving child pornography. According to court documents and evidence produced at trial, from May 2012 until September 19, 2013, Henry conspired with another person to create video and still images of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. From 2007 through September 2013, Henry used a file-sharing program to receive child pornography.

Farmworkers Demand to See Ballot Box

FRESNO - Thousands of farmworkers have asked the California Supreme Court to protect their rights. Even though the Court of Appeals ordered that the state Agricultural Labor Relations Board count the workers' votes, the agency still wants to destroy the ballots and instead force a non-negotiated "contract" on the workers; a contract the workers don't want and won't even be allowed to vote on.

The Jerry Brown-staffed agency created the "contract" it tried to force on the workers, which would have lowered their wages and required them to suddenly pay to keep their jobs or be fired. "We never had to pay to keep our jobs before, now they tell us we will be fired if we don't pay," said Farm Labor Leader Silvia Lopez.

Cool Hand Lukes Soon to be Sugar Pine Smoke House

MADERA - The owner of The Tap House, Dustin Franklin is working diligently to open a smokehouse restaurant in the former Cool Hand Luke’s space at the Madera Fairgrounds located at 1830 West Cleveland Avenue. The name Sugar Pine reaches back to Madera’s roots referencing the former Sugar Pine Lumber Company that established the town of Madera with its booming lumber business.

The restaurant will specialize in barbecue cuisine including smoked entrees. “ We will be using a smoker to complement our barbecue dishes, our menu items will include appetizers, soups, salads, steaks, seafood, burgers, and desserts”, said Franklin.

U.S. Attorney Recognizes Fresno County District Attorney’s Office & Bakersfield Police Detective

FRESNO - U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced the two winners of the Eastern District of California Law Enforcement Awards, recognizing the outstanding professionalism and dedicated public service of our local and state law enforcement partners. These awards, presented annually to a law enforcement agency and an officer in each of the Sacramento and Fresno divisions of the Eastern District of California, recognize outstanding collaboration between federal, state, and local law enforcement in addressing public safety issues in this region.

The winner of the Fresno division’s Outstanding Investigator Award is Detective Robert Pair of the Bakersfield Police Department for his outstanding work as case agent for Operation Blind Mice, a multi-agency investigation into Bakersfield’s West Side Crips gang. Detective Pair was instrumental in obtaining federal indictments against 11 West Side Crips members or associates as well as state charges against approximately 30 individuals for crimes ranging from burglary to murder. He helped draft wire applications, monitored wires, and conducted associated investigations. As a member of the Bakersfield Police Department’s gang squad, Detective Pair brought an extensive knowledge of the West Side Crips gang to the investigation that the other investigators relied upon repeatedly.