News

FRESNO - Garrett Scott Wheelen, 30, of Fresno, pleaded guilty today to mail fraud and possession of stolen mail, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, between August and November 2020, Wheelen perpetrated a mail fraud scheme to defraud the State of California by submitting fraudulent Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) claims to California’s Employment Development Department (EDD). PUA is a federal unemployment insurance program, established by the federal CARES Act and administered by EDD, that provides unemployment benefits to people impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Wheelen used personally identifiable information (PII) and other information associated with real people to submit fraudulent unemployment insurance and PUA claims to EDD. The claims were submitted for his own benefit and included information relating to employment and mailing addresses that were not associated with the claimants. EDD approved at least some of the claims and caused Bank of America to mail debit cards containing unemployment benefits to an address under Wheelen’s control.

FRESNO - A federal grand jury indicted three Madera residents today, charging Emilio Hernandez Yesca, 27; Jorge Perez, 24; and Jorge Luis Hernandez Gonzalez, 30, with trafficking fentanyl and methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. An associate of the trafficking ring, Eli Quiroz Hernandez, 26, also of Madera, was indicted in a related case on April 1.

According to court documents, the charges arose out of a months-long investigation into a drug trafficking organization. At the center of the organization were Hernandez and Perez. Between October 2020 and March 2021, the two conspired to distribute thousands of fentanyl pills and pounds of methamphetamine. As part of their plan, they sold 1,400 fentanyl pills in two separate drug deals in October and November 2020. Then, in February 2021, they sold a pound of methamphetamine.

FRESNO -   A federal grand jury returned a seven-count indictment today against Pilar Rose, 58, of Fresno, charging her with tax evasion, obstructing an IRS tax audit, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, Rose, who managed her husband’s orthodontics practice, evaded over $400,000 in taxes in 2014 and 2015. She then altered and produced financial records to the IRS during an audit to make personal expenses appear to be deductible business expenses.

SACRAMENTO -   Jaziz Jesahias Cea, 23, formerly of Galt, pleaded guilty today to transportation of child pornography and receipt of child pornography, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, Cea used internet communications platforms and social media to commit the offenses. In particular, on May 13, 2018, Cea uploaded to his YouTube channel child pornography videos showing prepubescent girls being abused by adult males.

Cea also separately used his Skype account to receive child pornography videos depicting prepubescent minor females being sexually exploited, to share links to such material, and to communicate with others about his interest in sexually exploiting children.

OAKHURST – Madera County Sheriff’s Detectives are investigating an incident that occurred in Oakhurst during the early morning hours of Wednesday, May 12, 2021. Shortly before 3:30am dispatchers received a report of a stabbing in the area of Road 427 and Road 426 in Oakhurst.

Deputies arrived on the scene and contacted an adult female victim with injuries from a stab wound. The victim was transported via life flight to a regional hospital in Fresno for treatment of her injuries. Based on preliminary details, detectives believe this was an isolated incident.

MERCED COUNTY – Governor Gavin Newsom today proposed a $5.1 billion package of immediate drought response and long-term water resilience investments to address immediate, emergency needs, build regional capacity to endure drought and safeguard water supplies for communities, the economy, and the environment. The Governor’s proposal comes as part of a week-long tour highlighting the Administration’s comprehensive recovery plan tackling the most persistent challenges facing California.