News

FRESNO -  A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment today against Jerald Esther Williams, 22, of Fresno, charging him with being a felon in possession of ammunition, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, on Aug. 14, Fresno Police Department officers saw a vehicle driving at a high rate of speed. They determined the vehicle was going in excess of 97 miles per hour. Williams was the sole occupant of the vehicle. During a search of the car, the officers found a loaded gun on the driver’s side floorboard near Williams’ left heel. The gun had eight rounds of 9 mm Luger ammunition in it. As a previously convicted felon, Williams is prohibited from possessing ammunition.

SACRAMENTO  -  Yaniv Gohar, 36, formerly of Berkeley, pleaded guilty today to 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.

MADERA - Mark your calendars for this Saturday at 10:00AM the Old Timers’ Day Parade will mark the 88th year of its age-old tradition! Thanks to the support of the Madera Sunrise Rotary Club, this year’s parade will go on.

As noted in a previous article, for more than 10 years, the Madera Kiwanis Club has hosted and organized the parade. Unfortunately, the Madera Kiwanis Club closed their chapter in 2018 and was no longer available to coordinate the event. Thankfully, once the Madera Sunrise Rotary caught word of this, they stepped up to the plate to ensure that the parade would continue its legacy.

MADERA - Ushering in this year's Homecoming as Grand Marshal will be an educator who has dedicated his life to the community of Madera for the last 65 years, Mr. Carles Beckett.  “I have spent my last 65 years in Madera. I graduated from Madera Union High School in 1963. Became a teacher in 1967 at Ripperdan Elementary School teaching fifth grade. I was an administrator for many, many- many years. I was a student in the 50s, a teacher in the 60s, an administrator in the 70s, 80s, and 90s,” expresses Beckett.

A few of Mr. Beckett’s principalships included being the principal at Dixieland Elementary for 15 years and helping the building stages of Lincoln Elementary as the opening principal in 1994. “The students of Madera Unified mean the world to me,” states Beckett as he reviews his roles in the district. 

FRESNO  - Three members of the Modesto Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, including the Club's Vice President and Secretary, were charged yesterday in four separate indictments, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. Hell's Angels Vice President Michael Shafer, 31, of Modesto, was charged with conspiring to distribute marijuana, conspiring to distribute heroin, distribution of marijuana, and two counts of use of a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense. Hells Angels Secretary Patrick Gonzales, 31, of Modesto, was charged with being a felon in possession of firearm and ammunition.

Hells Angels member Ricky Blackwell was charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, and possession of a firearm after suffering a misdemeanor domestic violence conviction.