News

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.

Detectives Arrest Sanger Man for Deadly Shooting at Fowler House Party

FRESNO - Homicide detectives with the Fresno County have booked 20-year-old Joseph Ornelas of Sanger into the Fresno County Jail. He faces one charge of murder and two charges of attempted murder. A Fresno County Sheriff’s deputy, working as part of the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force, found and arrested Ornelas on Monday afternoon.

Around 2:00 am on Sunday, officers with the Fowler Police Department and deputies with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of shots fired at a home on the 200 block of E. Adams Ave. in Fowler. Three young men, in their late teens to early 20s, were found suffering from gunshot wounds. All were transported to the hospital.

City of Visalia Announces New Fire Chief - Daniel S. Griswold to Lead Department in the New Year

VISALIA – Daniel S. Griswold has been chosen as the City of Visalia’s new Fire Chief. In a new and very successful approach to recruitment, the City of Visalia partnered with the Western Fire Chiefs Association to conduct a nationwide recruitment for Visalia’s next Fire Chief. Highly qualified candidates from the Central Valley and as far away as Florida, Maryland, and Wyoming competed to serve in this respected and sought-after role.

“I am extremely pleased with the results of this recruitment”, noted City Manager Randy Groom. “From among several top candidates, we found Dan to be not only a highly experienced candidate but an excellent fit for the department, the City organization, and the community. His leadership, experience, character, and competence quickly took him to the front of the pack, and he made a lasting, favorable impression on everyone during the process.”