News

FRESNO  -   A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment today against Lester Eduardo Cardenas-Flores, 23, and Luis Madrigal-Reyes, 36, illegal aliens from Mexico, charging them with conspiring to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute marijuana, manufacturing marijuana, and damaging public lands and natural resources, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, law enforcement officers located over 1,000 marijuana plants in the Dutch Oven Creek area of the Sierra National Forest in Madera County. Both defendants were found in a processing area near growing marijuana plants and fled when law enforcement officers arrived to investigate.

SACRAMENTO   -   Aaron Gilliam, 51, of Sherman Oaks, was sentenced today to 22 months in prison for conspiracy to commit bribery, to commit identity fraud, and to commit unauthorized access of a computer, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, Gilliam worked at the Hollywood DMV starting in October 2006. Between January 2011 and July 2017, Gilliam was a Motor Vehicle Representative at the DMV’s Hollywood office where he processed driver’s licenses.

FRESNO -  On Aug. 9, after a five-day jury trial, Jarvis Thomas, 34, of Bakersfield, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between Sept. 27, 2017, and Sept. 11, 2018, Thomas conspired with others to possess and distribute methamphetamine in Bakersfield and North Dakota.

According to court documents, on Dec. 14, 2017, after a 10-month investigation, more than 35 members and associates of West Side Crips (WSC), a local criminal street gang, were arrested on federal and state charges including burglary, illegal gun possession, drug sales, and murder.

FRESNO -   Madera and Sanger students will have a healthy start to the school year with access to new refillable water bottle stations thanks to a Kaiser Permanente Fresno grant.

Madera and Sanger Unified School Districts each received a $75,000 grant from Kaiser Permanente Fresno to purchase and install new refillable water bottle stations. Installation took place over the summer and now most of the schools in both districts have water stations available to students and staff.

FRESNO -  The Fresno Police Department arrested 8 impaired drivers while conducting a DUI/Driver’s License checkpoint on August 24, 2019. The checkpoint was at Palm and Pinedale between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m.

In addition, 22 drivers were cited/arrested for operating a vehicle unlicensed or with a suspended/revoked license, No Suspects arrested for illegal drugs, No suspects Arrested on other Criminal Charges, 46 Citations issued, 26 vehicles towed.

FRESNO  -   U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd sentenced Hector Hinojosa‑Cisneros, 26, formerly of Taft, today to 12 years in prison for his conviction for receipt and distribution of child pornography, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. In addition, Hinojosa-Cisneros was sentenced to 15 years of supervised release, ordered to pay penalty assessments of $5,100, and $2,500 in restitution to one victim.

According to court documents, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children reported that hundreds of images of child pornography had been uploaded to a Google Plus Photos account. Investigators in Bakersfield confirmed that Hinojosa-Cisneros controlled the account and executed a search warrant at Hinojosa‑Cisneros’s residence in Taft.