News

Prison Officials Investigate the Attempted Murder of a Peace Officer

DELANO – Officials at Kern Valley State Prison (KVSP) are investigating an incident, which occurred last Saturday on Facility B, as an attempted murder of a peace officer. On Dec. 21, just before 8 a.m., correctional officers instructed inmate Elrader Browning to a search of his person.

Browning quickly produced an inmate-made weapon and began stabbing at staff. Officers gave orders for Browning to stop, but he ignored their orders and continued his attack. Staff used physical force to stop his assaultive actions and confiscate the weapon.

Good News: California's Population Growth Has Slowed. Bad News: Overpopulation and Its Effects Force People to Flee

VENTURA - According to California's Department of Finance (DOF), the state grew by "only" 141,300 over the last year, but that was only because of a net outflow of almost 200,000 Californians to other states. The official state estimate for July 1, 2019, puts California's population at 39.96 million, a growth rate of 0.35 percent, the lowest recorded rate since 1900.

The DOF estimate indicates that the net domestic outmigration of 198,000 was offset by foreign immigration of 158,000 and natural increase (births minus deaths) of 181,000. Immigration drives population growth in the U.S., and even more so in California. According to the Pew Research Center, "Future immigrants and their descendants… are projected to account for 88 percent of the U.S. population increase," between 2015 and 2065.

DUI Checkpoints in the City's of Fresno and Madera Saturday

FRESNO - Officers from the Fresno Police Department will be out Saturday, December 28, 2019, looking for drivers suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.

DUI saturation patrols will take place in areas with high frequencies of DUI collisions and/or arrests. In 2017, 1,120 people were killed in alcohol-involved crashes on California roads. In 2018, the Fresno Police Department investigated 391 DUI collisions which have claimed 8 lives and resulted in another 70 injuries.

North Fork Rancheria Awarded Federal Grant to Build Tribal Housing

NORTH FORK - Last week it was announced that the North Fork Rancheria’s (“Tribe”) Indian Housing Authority (NFRIHA) was awarded a $5,000,000 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Indian Housing Block Grant Program (IHBG) grant to support infrastructure for the eventual construction of 25 new, low-income housing units.

“Decent, safe, and affordable housing is a scarce and valuable resource for our Tribe and community, and this can lead to unsanitary, unsafe, and overcrowded dwelling conditions,” said Tribal Chair Elaine Bethel-Fink. “This grant will help us address some of these dire challenges.”

Extradited Israeli Fugitive Sentenced for Illegal Gambling Business, Money Laundering, and Failure to Appear

SACRAMENTO - Yaniv Gohar, 36, formerly of Berkeley, was sentenced today to three years and nine months in prison for conducting an illegal gambling business, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and failure to appear, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, Gohar created and led an organization that installed and maintained video slot machines at businesses open to the public across Northern California. Gohar then created a system by which he could launder the proceeds of his lucrative gambling business, involving shell companies and paying cash to employees of a co-defendant’s business in exchange for money transfers from that co-defendant.

Tracy Resident Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison for “H-1B” Visa Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft

SACRAMENTO - Abhijit Prasad was sentenced today to three years in prison for visa fraud and aggravated identity theft. In addition, the Honorable Charles R. Breyer, U.S. District Judge in the Northern District of California, ordered the forfeiture of $1,193,440.

The case originated in Sacramento when the grand jury there indicted Prasad in 2016, but the case was ultimately tried in San Francisco following a court order transferring the case. U.S. Attorney David Anderson for the Northern District of California and U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott for the Eastern District of California made the announcement.

Former Clovis Resident Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Production of Child Pornography

FRESNO - Rocky Cottrell, 37, a former resident of Clovis, was sentenced on Dec. 6 by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd to 20 years in prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, for production of child pornography, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, between Jan. 2016 and Aug. 2016, Cottrell persuaded two minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct and produced visual depictions of that conduct. In addition, Cottrell transmitted some of the images via the internet.