News

Auto Theft Detective Outsmarts Career Criminal

FRESNO - On the morning of July 21st, a truck attached to a trailer carrying two porta-potties was stolen from a business yard in Fresno. The suspect smashed the truck through a fence, causing thousands of dollars in damages. The owner of the truck discovered the theft and made a report to the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office. He told dispatchers he had located the truck through an onboard GPS tracker.

A deputy went to the location and spotted the truck, which belonged to United Site Services. The deputy attempted to make a traffic stop, but the suspect refused and took off. About two minutes into the pursuit, the suspect made an extremely dangerous maneuver by driving onto some railroad tracks in the area of N9rth Teilman Avenue and he continued across a bridge that passes over Highway 99.

Vice President of Modesto Hells Angels Motorcycle Club Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking Charges

FRESNO - Michael Shafer, 33, of Modesto, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, Shafer was the Vice President of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club in Modesto in 2019. As part of a years-long investigation into the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, investigators obtained a court-authorized wiretap for Shafer’s phone. The wiretapped calls and messages showed that Shafer was conspiring to distribute marijuana and heroin. Specifically, in April 2019, Shafer conspired with a former Hells Angels member who was incarcerated in Pleasant Valley State Prison to smuggle heroin into prison.

Three Charged in Prison-Based COVID-19 Unemployment Benefits Scheme

FRESNO - On Thursday, July 15, a grand jury returned an indictment against three defendants for a scheme to submit over $1.4 million in fraudulent unemployment insurance claims in other inmates’ identities to the California Employment Development Department (EDD), Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

The indictment charges Daryol Richmond, 30; Telvin Breaux, 29; and Holly White, 30, with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. Richmond and Breaux are inmates at the Kern Valley State Prison and California Correctional Institute, respectively. White resides in Los Angeles. The indictment was unsealed today following White’s arrest.

District Attorney’s Office Files DUI Charges Against Kingsburg Councilmember Jewel Hurtado

FRESNO - The Fresno County District Attorney’s Office has charged Kingsburg City Council Member with driving a motor vehicle with a blood-alcohol level of .08 percent or higher, driving under the influence of alcohol, and speeding.

It is alleged that on June 21, 2021, at around 1:30 a.m., Hurtado was stopped by the California Highway Patrol for exceeding the speed limit. During the stop, officers noticed Hurtado to be exhibiting objective symptoms of being under the influence of alcohol. Hurtado was then arrested and cited to appear in the Fresno County Superior Court on October 15, 2021 to face driving under the influence charges.

Federal Drug and Gun Charges Brought Against Fresno Man Accused of Dealing Fentanyl

FRESNO - A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment today against Andres Nunez, 23, of Fresno, charging him with a distribution of fentanyl to a person under 21 years old and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on Feb. 9, 2021, Nunez delivered a substance containing fentanyl to a person under 21 years of age. In June 2021, agents executed a search warrant at Nunez’s residence. In his bedroom, they found approximately 13 firearms, including a “ghost gun,” a Glock-style handgun with no serial number. Attached to the gun was an “auto-sear,” a device that attaches to a firearm enabling its functions as a machine gun. Agents also found two additional “auto-sears,” a digital scale, packaging materials, a vacuum sealer, and four clear plastic bags, each containing approximately 1 pound of processed marijuana.

Two Modesto Men Charged with Illegal Weapons Possession

FRESNO — A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment today against Cesar Castro, 41, of Modesto, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm, and a one‑count indictment against Juan Dimas, 31, of Modesto, charging him with being a felon in possession of ammunition, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on June 1, Castro was arrested in Modesto in possession of a loaded firearm. On May 20, Dimas was arrested in Modesto after discarding a loaded firearm during a police chase. Both men are convicted felons prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition, and both men were serving terms of post-release community supervision following firearms convictions at the time of their arrest on these charges.

Two Sentenced to over 5 Years in Prison for COVID-19 Unemployment Benefits Fraud Scheme in Chowchilla

FRESNO - Jason Vertz, 51, of Fresno, and Alana Powers, 45, an inmate at the Central California Women’s Facility (CCWF) in Chowchilla, were each sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd to five years and one month in prison for conspiracy to commit mail fraud and aggravated identity theft, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, Vertz and Powers submitted several fraudulent unemployment insurance claims in Powers’ and other CCWF inmates’ names to the California Employment Development Department (EDD). Recorded jail calls and emails show that Powers and other inmates provided names, dates of birth, and social security numbers for inmates at CCWF to Vertz to submit the fraudulent claims. Shortly thereafter, the benefits were loaded onto debit cards that were mailed to the addresses the defendants provided.