News

Motorcycle Rider Refuses to Pull Over, Results in Deadly Crash

FRESNO - Cline Garner, 32, of Fresno is in the hospital and he has been electronically booked into the Fresno County Jail. He faces charges of evading a peace officer that resulted in death and a probation violation. Around 4:45 am on Tuesday, deputies were alerted to two people on a motorcycle near W. Gettysburg and N. Vagedes Avenues in Fresno who were acting suspiciously.

Deputies attempted to pull the motorcycle over near W. Gettysburg and N. Palm Avenues, but the driver (later identified as Cline Garner) refused to stop. He immediately took off down Palm at approximately 100 mph. The deputy followed behind and found the motorcycle about a mile away, near Palm and Santa Fe. The bike had crashed into a center median and ejected both riders.

Downtown Madera Veterans and Family Housing Project Awarded $11.3 Million

MADERA - The City of Madera has announced a grant award in the amount $11.3 million from the California Strategic Growth Council for a proposed downtown housing project. The California Strategic Growth Council, on June 21, 2019, awarded more than $402 million from the innovative Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) program to 25 new community development projects around the state. Funding for the AHSC program is derived from cap and trade proceeds.

This was the first time a project from Madera applied for this highly competitive funding opportunity. The Madera project was the highest scoring project from the San Joaquin Valley, and one of the highest in the state. "This is truly a major accomplishment for Madera, it will change the face of our downtown and serve as an impetus for additional investment in Madera.

Former Sacramento Kings Executive Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison for Multimillion Dollar Fraud Scheme

SACRAMENTO - Jeffrey R. David, 44, of [ ], was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb to seven years in prison for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. David is scheduled to surrender for service of his sentence on Aug. 20.

U.S. Attorney Scott stated: “David used his high-ranking position with the Sacramento Kings to deceive businesses across the country into sending him millions of dollars. The brazen scheme involved forgeries, stolen corporate executive identities, money laundering, and even instructing a former colleague to destroy evidence. Thanks to the fast actions of the Kings organization, the FBI, and attorneys in this office, the fraud did not result in the permanent deprivation of the $13.4 million that David intended to steal from his victims, as that money was recovered through timely government seizures and forfeitures. Today’s sentence should deter others from committing substantial frauds such as this one.”

Wasco State Prison Correctional Officer and a Minnesota Resident Arrested for Conspiring to Traffic Cocaine and Methamphetamine

BAKERSFIELD - Leonard Velazquez-Martinez, 50, of Minnesota, and Joseph Andrade, 38, of Bakersfield, were arrested Monday for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. At the time of his arrest, Andrade was employed as a Correctional Officer at Wasco State Prison in Wasco, California.

According to court documents, in June 2019, in Kern County, the defendants conspired to purchase approximately 40 pounds of methamphetamine and two kilograms of cocaine from an individual who defendants believed was a narcotics supplier, but who was actually an undercover law enforcement officer. On June 24, 2019, the defendants arrived at a location in Kern County to purchase the methamphetamine and cocaine from the undercover officer.

Flagrant TITLE IX Violations at Madera High May Cost Taxpayers Millions

MADERA - The first thing that comes to mind when walking through the one-year-old boy's baseball stadium at Madera High School is, “Wow! What a beautiful monument to the game of high school baseball.”

From the aluminum stadium seats that wrap around the infield from dugout to dugout, the granite walls with the lists of past Championship teams, the concession stand with handicap accessible restrooms, padded backstops, multi-inning scoreboard, school name and logo cut into the batter’s box, batter’s eye screen in center field all the way up to the air-conditioned press box that sits atop of this brand new $2 million facility.

Drug Conspiracy Convictions of Former Fresno Deputy Police Chief Affirmed on Appeal

FRESNO - The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the convictions of former Fresno deputy police chief Keith Foster, 55, for criminal conspiracies involving heroin and marijuana, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced today.

On May 23, 2017, a federal jury in Fresno found Foster guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana. On November 13, 2017, U.S. District Judge Anthony W. Ishii sentenced Foster to four years in prison. Foster then filed an appeal, challenging his two criminal convictions. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Foster’s claims and upheld his convictions.

President of Modesto Hells Angels Chapter Among Four Defendants Charged in Drug Conspiracy

FRESNO - A criminal complaint was unsealed today against four individuals, including the president of the Modesto Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, charging them with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

Charged in the criminal complaint are Modesto residents Randy Picchi, 61, president of the club; his wife Tina Picchi, 51; Michael Mize, 61; and Michael Pack, 32, a prospect with the club. Randy Picchi, Tina Picci, and Mize were arrested today and are in custody. They will appear in federal court on Wednesday in Fresno.