Eastern District of California

FRESNO, Calif. — Ray Brewer, 66, of Porterville, and Sheridan, Montana, was sentenced today to six years and nine months in prison for running a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme where he purported to turn cow manure into green energy, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court records, from March 2014 through December 2019, Brewer stole $8,750,000 from investors by claiming to build anaerobic digesters on dairies in Fresno, Kern, Kings, and Tulare Counties, as well as other counties in California and Idaho. Anaerobic digesters are large machines that use microorganisms to break down biodegradable material and turn it into methane. The methane can then be sold on the open market as green energy. The methane also produces Renewable Energy Credits (REC), which represent the property right to the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions achieved through green energy creation. RECs are commonly purchased by companies to meet green energy regulatory, contractual, and initiative requirements or commitments. Brewer’s investors were supposed to receive 66% of all net profits as well as tax incentives.

Brewer made various misrepresentations to his investors. Brewer took investors on tours of dairies where he said that he was going to build the digesters and sent them forged lease agreements with the dairy owners. He also sent the investors altered agreements with banks that made it appear as though he had obtained millions of dollars in loans to build the digesters. Moreover, he sent the investors forged contracts with multinational companies that made it appear as though he had secured revenue streams. Finally, he sent the investors fake pictures of the digesters under construction. None of this was true.

Fake digester picture sent to investors

After Brewer received the investors’ money, he transferred the funds to multiple other bank accounts that he opened in the names of different entities, his family members, and an alias. He used false descriptions for the transfers. He did so to conceal the location, source, ownership, and control of the money before using it for personal expenditures. These expenditures included two plots of land that were 10 or more acres each, a 3,700 square foot custom home, and new Dodge Ram pickup trucks.

Brewer subsequently told his investors that the digesters were progressing when that was not the case. He did so by sending them fake documents: construction schedules, invoices for project-related costs, power generation reports, RECs, and pictures.

In some instances, Brewer purported to refund investors all or some of their money. The refunds, however, came from newly received money from other investors who had not authorized Brewer to use their money in this way. When Brewer’s investors realized the fraud and obtained civil judgments against him, he moved to Montana and assumed a new identity.

Upon his arrest, Brewer told officers that they had the wrong man. He also claimed to have been in the Navy and recalled how he once saved several soldiers during a fire by blocking the flames with his body so that they could escape. Brewer has since admitted that these were both lies meant to curry favor with law enforcement.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph D. Barton, Henry Z. Carbajal III, and Alyson A. Berg prosecuted the case.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned an indictment today against Christopher Eric Campbell, 48, of Sacramento, charging him with possession of child pornography, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. 

According to court documents, Campbell possessed child pornography in March 2023.  The indictment seeks forfeiture of three different electronic devices that Campbell used to commit the offense, including an iPad, a cell phone, and a hard drive.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force Internet Crimes Against Children Unit, including Homeland Security Investigations and the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Emily G. Sauvageau is prosecuting the case.

Campbell is in state custody on related charges. If convicted in this case and proven to have a prior conviction under the laws of any State relating to the sexual abuse of a minor, Campbell faces a minimum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine.  Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.

FRESNO, Calif. — Sarah E. Meenahan, 28, of Manhattan Beach, was sentenced today to 33 months in prison for assault with intent to commit a felony, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on May 16, 2022, Meenahan entered a camper van in Sequoia National Park with the intent to steal the camper van from the occupant, who was sleeping. Meenahan exited the camper van, but moments later reentered the camper and attempted to stab the occupant with a 4-inch serrated knife. The occupant was able to subdue Meenahan and eject her from the camper before she could stab him. Then Meenahan fled in a stolen car. When National Park Service rangers encountered her and tried to arrest her, she refused to comply with commands, and was only taken into custody after rangers deployed a taser.

On Feb. 21, 2023, Meenahan pleaded guilty to the assault.

This case was the product of an investigation by the National Park Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly A. Sanchez and Michael G. Tierney prosecuted the case.

FRESNO, Calif. — Jatinbhai Naresh Bhakta, 31, of Bakersfield, was sentenced today to 4 years in prison and ordered to pay a forfeiture money judgment of over $1 million for using a facility of interstate commerce in aid of a racketeering enterprise, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, in 2015, Bhakta purchased and began operating the Desert Star Motel at 516 South Union Avenue in Bakersfield. Bhakta lived in a unit at the motel. Co‑defendant Roy Gene Drees, 45, also lived at the motel and was employed as a handyman and general manager.  During Bhakta’s ownership from at least 2018 to 2020, the Desert Star primarily catered to prostitutes and their actual and potential clients. Bhakta communicated with pimps by telephone and messaging applications, and would check in on prostitutes when asked to do so by the pimps.  Depending on the time of day, it was not unusual to see most, if not all, of the doors to motel rooms wide open with suspected prostitutes in lingerie standing outside, waving to drivers and approaching their vehicles. Prospective customers would park directly in front of the room of the prostitute they desired, and the prostitute would either direct them into the room immediately or meet the customer outside to arrange a deal. There were approximately 20 to 25 rooms available for rent, most of which were occupied by prostitutes, with very few, if any, used for legitimate overnight residency. Bhakta routinely charged rates of $120-140 per room per night in cash. From 2018 through January 2020, Bhakta deposited over $1 million in cash into his bank accounts, at a typical rate of approximately $30,000 to $40,000 per month.

In May 2019, two minor females were rescued from the property after having been trafficked by Darnell Edwards, 33, of Antioch at the Desert Star. On Jan. 22, 2021, a search warrant was executed at the Desert Star, and 15 prostitutes and three pimps were encountered. Drees and Bhakta were arrested at that time.

On Nov. 10, 2022, Bhakta pleaded guilty. On May 1, 2023, Edwards was sentenced to 19 years and seven months for sex trafficking of the two minors.

Charges are pending against Drees, who is scheduled for trial on March 23, 2024. If convicted, he faces a maximum statutory penalty of up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bakersfield Police Department, and the Parole Division of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David L. Gappa is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.

FRESNO, Calif. — Bobbi Jo Heiss, 36, of Fresno, pleaded guilty today to bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. 

According to court documents, between August 2020 and September 2021, Heiss engaged in a scheme to steal debit cards, checks, identity documents, and banking information in order to make fraudulent purchases, cash checks, and open unauthorized lines of credit. The scheme caused at least $250,000 in actual and attempted loss during that year-long period.

For example, as part of the scheme, on April 30, 2021, Heiss presented a check for $57,767 to a car dealership in Fresno with the name and driver’s license number of an identity theft victim in order to purchase a 2017 Sierra GMA.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office - Elder Abuse Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Henry Carbajal is prosecuting the case.

Heiss is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on August 21, 2023. Heiss faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for bank fraud. She faces a maximum sentence of two years in prison consecutive to any other sentence and a fine of $250,000 for aggravated identity theft. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

FRESNO, Calif. — Two defendants pleaded guilty today to charges brought in 2021 of fentanyl trafficking and illegal firearm possession, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

In the first case, Nicholas Solis, 28, of Fresno, pleaded guilty today to possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute it and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. According to court documents, on Jan. 6, 2021, an undercover officer ordered fentanyl pills from Solis using a Snap Chat account. Based on the messages, a search warrant was issued for Solis’s person, car, and residence. The same day, Solis posted a video of himself in his car counting a large sum of money with a firearm on his lap. Moments later, agents executed the search warrant and found fentanyl pills and the firearm from the video Solis had posted. 

In the second case Uriel Diaz-Santos, 21, of Fresno, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to court documents, after two juveniles overdosed on fentanyl pills, investigators interviewed witnesses and reviewed phone records, ultimately developing enough evidence to obtain a search warrant for Diaz-Santos’s residence. On Nov. 2, 2021, investigators searched Diaz-Santos’s house and found thousands of fentanyl pills and a firearm.

These cases are the product of investigations by the Fentanyl Overdose Resolution Team, a multi‑agency team composed of Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin J. Gilio is prosecuting both cases.

Diaz-Santos and Solis are both scheduled to be sentenced on October 2, 2023. The defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $1 million fine for trafficking fentanyl. The firearm charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, consecutive to any other sentence. The actual sentences, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.

This case is part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.) a program designed to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas as well as identifying wholesale distribution networks and international and domestic suppliers. In July 2018, the Justice Department announced the creation of S.O.S., which is being implemented in the Eastern District of California and nine other federal districts.

FRESNO, Calif. — Alexis Rudy Reyes, 29, of Bakersfield, was sentenced today to 21 months in prison and fined $5,000 for transferring obscene material to a minor, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, in April and May 2017, Reyes engaged in electronic video and messaging communications with the victim in this case, who was just eight years old. In those communications Reyes threatened to kill the victim’s mother if the victim did not take off her clothes while he watched. Reyes then proceeded to have multiple video chats with the victim in which the victim took off her clothing, and Reyes then exposed himself to the victim while manipulating his private parts.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a 17-count indictment Thursday against Sacramento residents Marcus Miller, 33; Reginald Jones, 33; Felicia Shaw, 31; Jimmy Van II, 38; and Jazzmine Campbell, 30; charging them with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, in addition to other drug and gun charges, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, the conspirators shipped hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills around the country for more than a year. On several occasions, law enforcement seized packages shipped by Miller, Jones, and their co-conspirators, and found fentanyl pills, often hidden inside children’s toys. In total, law enforcement seized approximately 450,000 fentanyl pills connected to the conspiracy through seized shipments and search warrants. Based on additional evidence, law enforcement estimates that members of the conspiracy have shipped more than one million fentanyl pills to customers in several different states.

During searches connected to the conspiracy, agents found hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills, over $80,000 in cash, and 17 firearms. Some of the pills and firearms were hidden inside secret compartments in the vehicles of Miller and Jones.

This case was the result of a joint investigation between the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Sacramento Police Department, the Folsom Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Citrus Heights Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexis Klein and Ross Pearson are prosecuting the case.

If convicted, all defendants face a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison, and a $10 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

This case is part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.) a program designed to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas as well as identifying wholesale distribution networks and international and domestic suppliers. In July 2018, the Justice Department announced the creation of S.O.S., which is being implemented in the Eastern District of California and nine other federal districts.

The Justice Department today announced that FPI Management Inc. (FPI) has agreed to pay $74,087 to resolve allegations that it violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) by imposing unlawful charges on nine servicemembers who were exercising their right to terminate their apartment leases after receiving military orders to relocate.

“The SCRA protects servicemembers who have answered our country’s call to serve,” said U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our partners in the Civil Rights Division stand ready to vindicate those rights, to allow our servicemembers to focus on their duty and relieve stress on them and their families.”

“The right for servicemembers to terminate leases without penalty when military orders send them elsewhere is a critical protection for people who already sacrifice so much,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will continue to enforce federal civil rights laws to ensure that paying rent for housing they no longer need is not another sacrifice servicemembers must bear.”

The SCRA extends various protections to servicemembers to allow them to devote their entire energy to the national defense. The SCRA provides protections for servicemembers in areas such as evictions, security deposits, pre-paid rent, civil judicial proceedings, installment contracts, interest rates, foreclosures, and automobile leases. The SCRA also allows servicemembers to terminate their residential leases after entering military service or receiving military orders for a permanent change of station, deployment, or retirement. Landlords are prohibited from imposing an early termination charge on servicemembers who terminate their leases under the SCRA.

The department launched an investigation into FPI’s leasing practices after receiving a referral from Coast Guard Legal Assistance about two instances where FPI attempted to require servicemembers who were terminating their leases early under the SCRA to repay discounts they had received when they signed the lease. In one case, FPI required Coast Guard Petty Officer First Class Aaron Gomez and his wife to repay $8,590 in lease concessions after they terminated their lease at an apartment building in Oakland near Coast Guard Island Alameda. In the other case, FPI told Coast Guard Petty Officer First Class William Fuchs that he would have to repay $7,838 in lease incentives after he terminated his lease at the same apartment building. Fuchs had just received military orders to relocate Charleston, South Carolina.

In a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, the department alleges that FPI unlawfully imposed early termination charges on a total of nine servicemembers who had exercised their right to terminate their residential leases upon receipt of qualifying military orders.

Under the consent order, which still must be approved by the court, FPI has agreed to pay a total of $51,587 to the servicemembers and a $22,500 civil penalty to the United States. The order also requires FPI to repair the servicemembers’ tenant database entries, implement new policies and procedures that comply with the SCRA, and training its employees on the SCRA.

Since 2011, the Justice Department has been awarded over $481 million in monetary relief for over 146,000 servicemembers through its enforcement of the SCRA. For more information about the department’s SCRA enforcement efforts, please visit www.servicemembers.gov.

Servicemembers and their dependents who believe that their rights under the SCRA have been violated should contact the nearest Armed Forces Legal Assistance Program Office. Office locations may be found at http://legalassistance.law.af.mil.

FRESNO, Calif. — Joshua Harrington, 36, of Modesto, was sentenced Monday to 12 years and seven months in prison for possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on April 2, 2021, Harrington discarded a backpack with two firearms while fleeing from law enforcement officers. Harrington is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition because he has been convicted of multiple felonies in Stanislaus County, including possession of a controlled substance and two convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Officers also located methamphetamine possessed by Harrington for distribution in the garage at his residence. On Aug. 14, 2021, Harrington possessed methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it in Modesto.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office; the Stanislaus County Probation Department; and the Modesto Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Sanchez prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Timothy Mackey, 42, of South Lake Tahoe, pleaded guilty today to distribution of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, Mackey was a member of chat groups that shared child pornography on the social media platform LiveMe, including a group named “No Limit!!!”  On Feb. 6, 2020, and Feb. 25, 2020, Mackey, using the username “bag of rock,” posted multiple images of child pornography in the “No Limit!!!” group.

Mackey had worked as a snowboarding instructor and applied to become a foster parent prior to his arrest in April 2020.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise N. Yasinow is prosecuting the case.

Mackey is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 11, 2023. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.

FRESNO, Calif. — U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced the sentencings today in cases brought in 2019 following Operation Red Reaper, a multi-agency investigation into the Nuestra Familia prison gang and the Norteño street gang in Kings County. The last defendant in case number 1:19-cr-143, Angel Montes, 27, of Visalia, was sentenced to 11 years and three months in prison for facilitating the distribution of the gang’s drugs and the collection of the gang’s proceeds. Also today, Eric Mercado, a defendant in a related case (1:19-cr-248) was sentenced to two years and six months in prison for illegal possession of a machine gun.

The investigation uncovered that the Nuestra Familia was responsible for large-scale trafficking of methamphetamine and other controlled substances, as well as various firearms offenses and other violent crimes. According to court documents, high-ranking Nuestra Familia members Salvador Castro Jr. and Raymond Lopez used contraband cellphones from inside Fresno County’s Pleasant Valley State Prison to arrange the transport of illicit narcotics from drug sources in California and Mexico to a stash house in Kings County. From that stash house, gang members outside of the prison coordinated the preparation and delivery of the drugs to distributors throughout Kings and Tulare Counties.

The sentences of the other defendants in the case are as follows:

• Salvador Castro Jr., 53, was sentenced to 17 years and six months in prison;
• Raymond Lopez, 35, was sentenced to 16 years and eight months in prison;
• Jesse Juarez, 32, was sentenced to 16 years and eight months in prison;
• Manuel Garcia, 36, was sentenced to 15 years in prison;
• Rafael Lopez 42, was sentenced to 15 years in prison;
• Raul Lopez, 52, was sentenced to 15 years in prison;
• Michael Rocha, 40, was sentenced to 10 years and one month in prison;
• Ramon Amador 33, was sentenced to 10 years in prison;
• Daniel Juarez, 31, was sentenced to 8 years in prison;
• Manuel Barrera, 28, was sentenced to five years and 10 months in prison;
• Joann Bernal, 36, was sentenced to time served.

On May 30, 2023, in another case also generated by Operation Red Reaper, Florentino Gutierrez, 41, of Hanford, was sentenced to 21 years and 10 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of a mixture containing methamphetamine. According to court documents, in April and May 2019, Gutierrez conspired with others to traffic over 2 kilograms of methamphetamine. Gutierrez’s plan included using his Cadillac Escalade as collateral to purchase the methamphetamine. His co-conspirators then traveled from Hanford to Bakersfield where they picked up the methamphetamine. On the return trip, investigators stopped the car, searched it, and seized five bags containing a total of over 2 kilograms of methamphetamine.

One of Gutierrez’s co-defendants, Ernesto Zibray, 34, of Delano, pleaded guilty to distribution of methamphetamine and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 10, 2023. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, a maximum sentence of life in prison, and a fine up to $10 million. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

Operation Red Reaper is the product of an investigation by the Kings County Gang Task Force, the California Department of Justice, the California Highway Patrol, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the FBI, the Kings County District Attorney’s Office, and the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin J. Gilio and Kimberly A. Sanchez are prosecuting the cases.

These cases are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a six-count indictment today against Angelo Jackson Mendiver, 26, of Bakersfield, an employee of the Kern High School District, charging him with conspiring to commit offenses against the United States; engaging in manufacturing and dealing in explosive materials; two counts of mailing an explosive device; improper storage of explosives; and making false statements to agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, Mendiver used an Instagram account to sell explosives and explosive materials and worked closely with a male juvenile Bakersfield high school student to fulfill transactions. A federal search warrant executed at Mendiver’s residence on June 1, 2023, resulted in the seizure of approximately 500 pounds of explosives and explosive materials. Agents seized another 500 pounds of explosives and explosive materials from the juvenile’s residence.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen A. Escobar is prosecuting the case.

Mendiver is scheduled for arraignment on the indictment on June 15, 2023. If convicted of engaging in the manufacture and dealing in explosive materials, Mendiver faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,00 fine. If convicted of making false statements to the FBI and conspiring to commit offenses against the United States, he faces a maximum statutory penalty for each count of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Mailing an explosive device and improper storage of explosives carry a maximum penalty for each count of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine.  Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Michael Uziewe, 63, of Grayson, Georgia, pleaded guilty today to one count of bank fraud related to an online scheme that defrauded a business owner in California and a second business owner in New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, Uziewe owned a purported business named God’s Word Christian Book Store. In March 2020, the first victim, an owner of a classic car dealership in Irvine, began communicating with a purported seller of two transmissions. At the seller’s direction, the victim sent more than $13,000 to the God’s Word business account that Uziewe controlled at Ameris Bank. The victim never received the transmissions.

Also, in April 2020, the second victim, an owner of a nail salon in Jersey City, New Jersey, sent more than $100,000 to Uziewe’s Ameris Bank account. She sent the funds to assist the return to the United States of an individual who claimed he was a surgeon working for the United Nations in Yemen and needed money to pay for costs associated with traveling to the United States.

When Uziewe attempted to withdraw the funds from the God’s Word account, he falsely claimed that they were proceeds of book sales.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Defense Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Thuesen is prosecuting the case.

U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta is scheduled to sentence Uziewe on Sept. 14, 2023. He faces up to 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the court’s discretion after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Brian Scheckla, 65, of Burney, was sentenced today to two years in prison for unlawful dealing in firearms, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, Scheckla traveled to gun shows buying guns only to turn around and sell them for a price markup on the black market. In 2018, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives served Scheckla with a cease-and-desist letter, advising him that he was unlawfully selling guns without a license. Nevertheless, Scheckla continued to travel to 20 gun shows a year to sell guns in California, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, and Idaho. Between March 2016 and February 2019, Scheckla purchased at least 77 guns from federally licensed firearms dealers. Ten of those firearms that have been recovered by law enforcement as part of criminal investigations in Manteca, Sacramento, Modesto, Vallejo, Elk Grove, Anderson, Ontario, and Rancho Cordova.

This case was the product of an investigation by the ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Lee prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announces a sentencing and a guilty plea in two cases the United States Attorney’s Office is prosecuting involving drug trafficking on the dark web.

Sentence: United States v. Ian Hoffmann, No. 2:21-cr-017-JAM

Ian Hoffmann, 44, of Bell Canyon, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine. According to court documents, Hoffmann ran multiple narcotics vendor accounts on various dark web marketplaces, including “CaliCartel” and “BuxomBrunette” on the Dream marketplace, “Playground” on the Silk Road 3.1 marketplace, and “GambinoCrimeFamily” on the Wall Street Market marketplace. Hoffmann was a prolific dark web drug trafficker, completing more than 2,000 drug sales in a six-month period between October 2018 and April 2019 alone. Hoffmann accepted cryptocurrency in exchange for his narcotics and sent the drugs he sold using the U.S. Postal Service.

Federal law enforcement agents surveilled Hoffmann as he mailed dozens of packages suspected to contain narcotics on various dates in 2019. Agents subsequently executed a search warrant at Hoffmann’s residence and seized approximately 5 pounds of heroin, 14 pounds of cocaine, 40 pounds of methamphetamine, two loaded firearms, three boxes of ammunition, a bulletproof vest, more than a quarter of a million dollars in cash, a money-counting machine, several scales, and packaging materials.

Plea Agreement: United States v. Gabriel Alva, No. 2:21-cr-178-JAM

Gabriel Alva, 31, of Winnetka, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine; and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of this drug trafficking offense. According to court documents, Alva and his co-conspirators ran multiple drug vendor accounts on various dark web contraband marketplaces, including “Diablow” on the Silk Road 3.1 marketplace, “RaiseAppeals” on the Dream marketplace, and “RaisedByDiablow” on the Nightmare marketplace. Alva’s dark web vendor pages offered crystal methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and other narcotics for sale. Alva accepted payment in cryptocurrency for the narcotics and converted approximately $1.3 million worth of various cryptocurrencies into cash. In May 2019, law enforcement agents seized nearly 2 kilograms of heroin, more than 2 kilograms of cocaine, and nearly 24 kilograms of methamphetamine from Alva’s residence. Agents also seized a Remington shotgun and a Smith & Wesson assault rifle, which Alva admitted that he possessed to further his dark web drug trafficking operation.

These cases are the product of investigations by the Northern California Illicit Digital Economy (NCIDE) Task Force, which includes agents from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The NCIDE Task Force is a federal task force focused on targeting all forms of illicit dark web and cryptocurrency activity in the Eastern District of California and beyond. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Stefanki is prosecuting both cases.

Alva is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez on Sept. 26, 2023. Alva faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — On Sunday, June 4, community members and leaders gathered at The Crest Theatre to watch the first screening in Sacramento and the Central Valley of “Repairing The World: Stories From The Tree Of Life.” The documentary film is about Pittsburgh’s powerful community response to hate in the aftermath of the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history, showing what it means to be “stronger than hate.” 

The documentary follows survivors, families of the victims, diverse community members, students, and civic leaders as they examine their vulnerabilities and the impact of rising antisemitism, racism, hate speech, and gun violence. Against the backdrop of a tumultuous period in the country, a local community that has faced violence and trauma works to heal and grapple with what it means to be stronger than hate.

The screening was presented by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California and Not In Our Town, and co-sponsored by the Jewish Federation of the Sacramento Region, Jewish Community Relations Council, Leonard M. Friedman Bar Association, Federal Bar Association Sacramento Chapter, Asian/ Pacific Bar Association of Sacramento, Women Lawyers of Sacramento, and SacLegal, Sacramento’s LGBTQ+ Bar Association. The U.S. Attorney’s Office leads Hate Crimes Task Forces in Sacramento and Fresno that bring together federal, state, and local law enforcement with community partners to address and combat hate crimes.

“Hate-based violence is a serious crime that destroys communities, and preventing these crimes is a top department priority,” said U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office, along with our community and law enforcement partners, will continue to shine a light on the impact of these crimes and work with our partners to stand united against hate.”

The film’s director, Patrice O’Neill said, “Not In Our Town is honored to partner with the U.S. Attorney's Office and leading organizations in the Sacramento area for this first screening of “Repairing the World” in Central California. The Pittsburgh community presents powerful lessons about how we can build alliances in our cities and towns that will help us become stronger than hate.”

Learn more about this important film here:  https://repairingtheworldfilm.org/. 

FRESNO, Calif. — On May 25, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a 15-count indictment against Blake Wayne Reed, 27, of Tehachapi, charging him with bank fraud, use and possession of unauthorized debit and credit cards, aggravated identity theft, possession of stolen mail, and unauthorized possession of a Postal Service key, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. The indictment was unsealed following his arrest today.

According to court documents, from August 2020 to April 2021, Reed obtained hundreds of pieces of stolen mail that included at least 130 checks and 30 debit cards or credit cards belonging to other individuals and businesses. Reed then altered and forged signatures on the stolen checks and used stolen debit cards to deposit the checks into victims’ bank accounts and into his own bank account. He then made cash withdrawals from the inflated accounts. He also used victims’ stolen debit cards to make cash withdrawals from their accounts. Reed’s scheme caused more than $40,000 in fraudulent transactions to be made on the victims’ bank accounts, debit cards, and credit cards.

This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brittany M. Gunter and Joseph D. Barton are prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Reed faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million for each of the bank fraud charges, a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for use and possession of unauthorized debit and credit cards and unauthorized possession of a Postal Service key, a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for the possession of stolen mail charge, and a mandatory two-year sentence consecutive to other counts and a fine of up to $250,000 for the aggravated identity theft charge. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Former U.S. Postal Service employee Edison Small, 42, of Vallejo, pleaded guilty today to theft of government property, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on May 24, 2022, Small climbed inside a trailer that a USPS truck was towing in Vallejo while the truck was stopped at a red light. The trailer is used to transport money and mail. Once inside, Small grabbed a bag and hid it under his shirt. When the truck drove down the street, Small hopped out of the trailer. The bag contained $17,460 in cash, $1,300 in money orders, and $504 in checks. During a search of Small’s apartment, $15,240 was found.

This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas M. Fogg is prosecuting the case.

Small is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta on Sept. 7, 2023. Small faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Eliyen Alejandro Alarcon-Flores, 31, of Stockton, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley to nine years in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, Alarcon-Flores was a methamphetamine trafficker based in Stockton who sold up to 30 pounds of methamphetamine at a time. In 2021, an undercover officer arranged to purchase methamphetamine from a Facebook account that Alarcon-Flores had set up under a fake name. After law enforcement had identified Alarcon-Flores’s distribution network, officers arrested Alarcon-Flores and searched his house. During the search, officers seized 13 pounds of methamphetamine.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the San Joaquin County Metropolitan Narcotics Task Force (METRO), the Stockton Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Lee prosecuted the case.

On June 9, 2022, co-defendant Juan Jose Valenzuela-Bustamante was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a six-count indictment today against Luis Enrique Vasquez-Lopez, 45, a Mexican national living in Sacramento, charging him with distribution of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and possession with intent to distribute heroin, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, from December 2022 to April 2023, Vasquez-Lopez sold a confidential source at least 40 grams of fentanyl on four occasions. During the investigation, agents identified two privately owned rural properties that Vasquez-Lopez was utilizing to store his drugs. On May 22, 2023, Vasquez-Lopez was arrested and found to be in possession of a kilogram of fentanyl, heroin, and a firearm.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Butte Interagency Narcotics Task Force and the California Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alstyn Bennett is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Vasquez-Lopez faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Pedro Luis Millan, aka Peter Millan, 37, of Montebello, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to sexually exploit a child, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, in May 2021, Millan conspired with Brent Hooton, 50, of Marysville, to produce an image of a child under the age of 12 engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Hooton produced the image and then sent it to Millan and other users over the Kik messaging app. Millan received that image, as well as additional pornographic images of the same child victim, from Hooton over the Kik app.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise N. Yasinow is prosecuting the case.

Millan is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 7, 2023, by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta. Millan faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

On May 30, 2023, Hooton pleaded guilty today to sexual exploitation of a child and distribution of child pornography and is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 12, 2023, by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Hee Soung Oh, 47, a Korean national residing in Southern California, was sentenced today to two years and nine months in prison for bank fraud and bank fraud conspiracy, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, between January 2017 and September 2017, Oh participated in a nationwide check kiting “bust out” scheme in order to obtain cash from banks. The scheme’s participants obtained a real Republic of Korea passport that was altered to bear a new photograph and name, which they used to open bank accounts with a small amount of cash. The accounts were dormant until a time the participants believed the bank would allow the account holder to deposit a check and make withdrawals before the check actually cleared. At that time, the participants wrote checks from a different bank account with non-sufficient funds, deposited those checks into the dormant account, and then withdrew cash from the dormant account before the checks cleared. The participants would access funds by purchasing a money order and then depositing the money order into yet another bank account associated with the scheme.

The bust-out scheme resulted in an actual loss of $273,800 to the banks, and a total intended loss of $466,318 based on additional, unsuccessful bust-out attempts.

This case was the product of an investigation by the IRS Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Audrey B. Hemesath prosecuted the case.

Korean nationals Jong Eun Lee, 48, and Kyung Min Kong, 55, were previously sentenced: Lee to 22 months in prison and Kong to seven years and nine months in prison. Charges are pending against Ki Jang and Bon Soke Hong, who were indicted on Oct. 21, 2021. The charges against them are only allegations; they are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

FRESNO, Calif. — Esther Andrade Olson, 48, of Hanford, was arrested today on the charge that she embezzled over $60,000 from multiple members’ accounts at a Tulare-based credit union where she was previously employed, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, Olson began working at the credit union in 2005 and was promoted to assistant branch manager in 2019. In July and August 2022, Olson made several unauthorized withdrawals from four members’ accounts, including seven withdrawals totaling $35,000 from one member. When questioned by credit union officials, Olson abruptly resigned from her position. Court documents indicate that Olson was using some of the embezzled funds to promote herself on TikTok.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Chan Hee Chu and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Barton are prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Olson faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment last week against Timothy James Durel, 57, of Roseville, charging him with receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, between July 2013 and March 2021, Durel received visual depictions of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. He also possessed child pornography between about July 2012 and February 2021.

This case is the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger Yang is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Durel faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for receipt of child pornography, and a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for possession of child pornography. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative brings together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence. At the core of PSN is setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place. U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announces the following actions in federal PSN cases.

Guilty Pleas

Eric Terrell Christian, 31, of Vacaville, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on Aug. 11, 2022, Christian was arrested for a parole violation and found to be in possession of a Glock handgun with a round in the chamber and another 17 rounds in a high-capacity magazine. In an apartment to which Christian had access, officers found a Palmetto Arms pistol with a round in the chamber and 36 rounds in an inserted, 40-round magazine. Christian is not allowed to possess firearms because he has previously been convicted of three felony offenses, including two convictions for assault with a deadly weapon, and was on parole when he committed the current offense. Christian is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb on Aug. 28, 2023. Christian faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. This case is the product of an investigation by the Vacaville Police Department, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation – Division of Adult Parole Operations, the Solano County District Attorney’s Office, the FBI’s Solano County Violent Crimes Task Force, and the ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella is prosecuting the case.

Gabriel Joseph Detrant, 49, of Redding, pleaded guilty on May 18, 2023, to being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on Feb. 2, 2021, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle Detrant was driving in Redding. Detrant stopped the vehicle, and he and a passenger fled on foot. The officers found a Baikal Makarov, Model IJ-70 9 mm handgun loaded with eight rounds by the driver’s seat. Officers later found Detrant hiding nearby in possession of a magazine loaded with eight 9 mm rounds. Detrant is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he has multiple prior felony convictions, including a 2018 conviction in Shasta County for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Detrant is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 31, 2023, by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta. Detrant faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. This case is the product of an investigation by the Shasta County District Attorney’s Office, the Redding Police Department, and the ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorney Haddy Abouzeid is prosecuting the case.

The actual sentences, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Sentencings

Kevin Lester Wise, 68, of Rancho Cordova, was sentenced on May 9, 2023, to two and a half years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on July 22, 2020, Wise was found to be in possession of a Ruger .22 caliber rifle and a silencer. Wise had previously attempted to unlawfully import another silencer from China. In 1990, Wise was convicted in Sacramento County for unlawful assault by an officer while he was serving as a deputy sheriff. In 2013, Wise was convicted in federal court in the Eastern District of California for a being a felon in possession of a firearm. As a convicted felon, Wise is prohibited from owning firearms, including silencers. This case was the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella prosecuted the case.

Derick Louangamath, 33, of Sacramento, was sentenced on April 24, 2023, to five years and three months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on Nov. 23, 2019, law enforcement officers stopped a vehicle that Louangamath was driving and found a Glock 26, along with loaded 10-round, 15-round, and 33-round magazines. Louangamath has several prior felony convictions, including convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm, which prohibit him from possessing a firearm. This case was the product of an investigation by the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office, the Sacramento Police Department, and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron D. Pennekamp prosecuted the case.

These cases are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

FRESNO, Calif. — Jerrid Kunkel, 27, of Modesto, was sentenced today to 14 years and seven months in prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, for receiving and distributing material involving the sexual exploitation of minors, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, between April 2014 and December 2017, Kunkel received and distributed at least 600 images of child pornography over the internet from his cellphone.

This case was the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany M. Gunter prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Brent Hooton, 50, of Marysville, pleaded guilty today to sexual exploitation of a child and distribution of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, in May 2021, Hooton produced images of a child under the age of 12 engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Hooton then distributed those images to other users over the Kik messaging app.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Audrey Hemesath and Denise Yasinow are prosecuting the case.

Hooton is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 12, 2023, by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd. Hooton faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison on the sexual exploitation of a child count, and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison on the distribution of child pornography count. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Vincent Jose Vasquez, 29, of Lodi, was sentenced today to 12 years and six months in prison for fentanyl and methamphetamine trafficking, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, in October 2020, law enforcement officers seized approximately a kilogram of heroin that Vasquez was transporting. On May 5, 2021, more than 10,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, more than 900 grams of cocaine, almost 1 pound of methamphetamine, three firearms, and $21,623 in cash were seized following the execution of a search warrant at Vasquez’s residence in Lodi.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance by the U.S. Marshals Service, the California Highway Patrol, the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Department, and the Lodi Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David W. Spencer prosecuted the case.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

FRESNO, Calif. — Florentino Gutierrez, 41, of Hanford, was sentenced today to 21 years and 10 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of a mixture containing methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

Gutierrez was one of 21 drug traffickers charged federally as a result of Operation Red Reaper, a multi-agency investigation into the criminal activities of individuals associated with the Kings and Tulare County Nuestra Familia prison gang.

According to court documents, in April and May 2019, Gutierrez conspired with others to traffic over 2 kilograms of methamphetamine. Gutierrez’s plan included using his Cadillac Escalade as collateral to purchase the methamphetamine. His co-conspirators then traveled from Hanford to Bakersfield, where they picked up the methamphetamine. On the return trip, investigators stopped the car, searched it, and seized five bags containing a total of over 2 kilograms of methamphetamine.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Kings County Gang Task Force, the Special Operations Unit of the California Department of Justice and the California Highway Patrol; the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; the Kings County District Attorney's Office; and the Tulare County Sheriff's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin J. Gilio is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

FRESNO, Calif. — Patrick Feaster, 23, of Fresno, was sentenced today to three years and five months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

Feaster was one of seven Fresno residents charged federally as a result of Operation No Fly Zone, a multi-agency investigation that sought to address a rise in the number of shootings and homicides in Fresno. According to court documents, on March 16, 2022, investigators learned that Feaster would be going to a residence in Fresno to pick up a firearm and an extended magazine. Shortly after Feaster left the residence, officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop on his car, but Feaster failed to yield. Feaster got out of the car with a bag and fled on foot. After a chase, officers arrested Feaster and seized the bag from him. Inside the bag, officers found a semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine. Feaster was not allowed to possess firearms because he had previously been convicted of first degree robbery, a felony offense.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Fresno Police Department; the Fresno-area Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium (MAGEC); the California Department of Justice; the California Highway Patrol; the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office; the Kings County Sheriff’s Office; the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; and the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin J. Gilio and Antonio J. Pataca prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

FRESNO, Calif. — Christopher Smith, 36, of Bakersfield, was sentenced today to four years and six months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a shotgun, stealing checks and debit cards from the mail, and committing related financial fraud, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court records, Smith, a previously convicted felon, unlawfully possessed a 12‑gauge shotgun that he was keeping in a storage unit. From March 2020 through July 2020, Smith also obtained hundreds of pieces of stolen mail that included 200 checks with a face value of over $100,000 and 27 debit cards belonging to other individuals and businesses. Smith then altered and forged the stolen checks and used the stolen debit cards to deposit the checks into victims’ bank accounts and make cash withdrawals.

This case was the product of an investigation by U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Barton is prosecuting the case.

FRESNO, Calif. — Following a multi-agency investigation in Fresno County that focused on crimes of violence, drug sales, and illegal firearms possession, 10 federal defendants were arrested on Thursday for racketeering, drug trafficking, violent crimes, and firearms offenses.

U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert, Fresno County Sheriff John Zanoni, Fresno Police Chief Paco Balderrama, Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp, FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan, California Department of Justice Special Agent in Charge Rachel Capello, California Highway Patrol (MAGEC) Captain Jon Staricka, and DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian Clark made the announcement.

According to the criminal complaint, in July 2021, law enforcement agencies in Fresno County joined together to investigate the ongoing criminal activities committed by gang members for the benefit of the enterprise formed by the coordination of the Nuestra Familia prison gang and the Norteño criminal street gang. The crimes include murder in aid of racketeering, sales of illegal narcotics, illegal sale and distribution of firearms, and witness and victim intimidation.

On May 25, 2023, nearly 550 federal, state, and local law enforcement personnel executed 54 search warrants in Parlier, Reedley, Del Rey, Dinuba, and Clovis. 49 firearms, ammunition, firearm magazines, currency, and controlled substances were seized. More than 25 criminal street gang members and associates were arrested and charged with crimes in either federal or state court.

The federal defendants and their charges are as follows:

Victor Javier Zermeno, 34, of Clovis, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine;

Matthew Pete Mendez, 32, of Reedley, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of fentanyl, and being a felon in possession of a firearm;

Miguel Angel Barragan, 27, of Parlier, is charged with conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering and attempted murder in aid of racketeering, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence (attempted murder in aid of racketeering), being a felon in possession of a firearm, and attempted bribery;

Joey Noel Magadan, 20, of Cutler, is charged with conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering and attempted murder in aid of racketeering, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence (attempted murder in aid of racketeering), interference with commerce by robbery, and using, carrying, or brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and aiding and abetting;

Jonathan Maldonado, 33, of Parlier, is charged with conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering and attempted murder in aid of racketeering, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence (attempted murder in aid of racketeering), and being a felon in possession of ammunition;

Ezequiel Maximino Guzman, 18, of Del Rey, is charged with conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering and attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence (attempted murder in aid of racketeering);

Victor Diaz-Aguilar, 30, of Fresno, is charged with being a felon in possession of ammunition;

Francisco Diaz-Salinas, 40, of Parlier, is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm;

Eduardo Amezcua, 32, of Reedley, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine;

Michael Neri, 33, of Reedley, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine;

Alejandro Hawkins, 24, of Reedley, is charged with distribution of cocaine;

Francisco Ferman, 28, of Delano, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine;

Ivan Hernandez, 25, of Parlier, is charged with interference with commerce by robbery, and using, carrying, or brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and aiding and abetting.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium (MAGEC), the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, the California Department of Justice, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). Assistant U.S. Attorney Antonio Pataca is prosecuting the case.

The maximum potential sentences the defendants face if convicted of the charges range from five years in prison up to life in prison. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

FRESNO, Calif. — On May 4, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment, charging Jorge Luis Rivera, 53 of Fresno, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud and attempted wire fraud, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

The indictment was unsealed following Rivera’s arrest today.

According to court documents, Rivera owned El Ranchito Bakery in Fresno. Beginning in 2005, El Ranchito was authorized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, formerly known as Food Stamps. These benefits cannot be exchanged for cash. Between approximately 2011 and August 2018, Rivera directed his employees to exchange SNAP benefits for cash and to accept SNAP benefits for unauthorized items at the request of customers. The loss to the United States is estimated to be over $5 million.

This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General (USDA-OIG) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexandre Dempsey and Joseph Barton are prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Rivera faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

FRESNO, Calif. — Jonathan Gallegos, 32, of Ivanhoe, was sentenced to 17 years and seven months in prison for trafficking methamphetamine and marijuana and using a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, the charges arose from a long-term investigation that uncovered evidence of a scheme involving the trade of illegal drugs sourced in Mexico and California for firearms sourced in Texas. In 2021, a team of local, state, and federal law enforcement officers partnered in an investigation into the Tulare County Surenos Street Gang. Part of the investigation focused on Gallegos and his associates, who were involved in shipping illegal drugs and firearms across state lines.

Between April 6, 2021, and Dec. 17, 2021, Gallegos and associates shipped kilograms of methamphetamine and marijuana from post offices in Central California to residences in San Antonio, Texas. Gallegos’s drug-buying customers shipped firearms back to Gallegos and his associates in California, as payment for the narcotics they had received.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office, the Tulare County Area Regencies Gun Enforcement Team, the Visalia Police Department, the California Department of Justice’s Bureau of Investigation, the California Highway Patrol’s Special Operations Unit, and the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin J. Gilio and Antonio J. Pataca are prosecuting the case.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Eric Michael Jaklitsch, 40, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, was sentenced today to six years and nine months in prison for two related COVID-19 fraud cases, one case alleging wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in California and the other case alleging wire fraud in New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

“This defendant carried out two separate wire fraud schemes to bilk the federal government out of millions of dollars during the Covid-19 pandemic,” U.S. Attorney Talbert said. “Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of the defendant’s conduct that has harmed the federal government along with all the individuals whose information was used in the fraudulent applications. Our office is proud to be included as a part of the California COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force, and we remain committed to leading investigations and vigorously prosecuting those who commit COVID-19 fraud.”

“Eric Jaklitsch used stolen identities to fraudulently obtain millions of taxpayer dollars meant to help unemployed workers make ends meet during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of prompt action by federal law enforcement, Jaklitsch’s scheme was curtailed. Today’s sentencing sends a clear message that those who defraud the unemployment insurance system will be held accountable for their actions. We remain fully committed to investigating these types of crimes with our law enforcement partners,” said Quentin Heiden, Special Agent-in-Charge, Western Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.

“The FBI, in collaboration with our state and federal partners, exposed and dismantled this major fraud scheme. This scheme aimed to defraud the United States Government, the State of California, and unsuspecting residents of our state. Eric Jaklitsch represents one of several individuals who sought to take advantage of vulnerable victims during the recent pandemic,” said FBI Sacramento Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan. “Today’s sentencing of Jaklitsch marks a significant milestone in the joint efforts of the FBI, the United States Attorney’s Office, and our partners within the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force.”

DHS Inspector General, Dr. Joseph V. Cuffari, stated, “Eric Jaklitsch defrauded government programs meant to help Americans at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. DHS OIG will continue to prioritize pandemic-related fraud investigations and work with our law enforcement partners to bring perpetrators to justice.”

The California EDD Case

According to court documents, between October 2020 and December 2021, Jaklitsch executed his first fraud scheme by filing at least 180 fraudulent unemployment insurance claims with California Employment Development Department (EDD), seeking Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and other benefits under the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. During the scheme, Jaklitsch collected personally identifiable information (PII) of numerous individuals from the dark web — including names, birth dates, and Social Security numbers — and used their identities to file fraudulent unemployment insurance claims. Typically these unemployment insurance claims were fraudulent because the claimants were not unemployed, they were not eligible for California unemployment insurance benefits, or Jaklitsch never had authority to file claims on their behalf.

Since at least October 2020, EDD has partnered with ID.me — a private company used by the EDD for ID verification of claimants — to implement a system for verifying claimant identities before EDD can process unemployment insurance claims. An internal investigation conducted by ID.me identified Jaklitsch as a person conducting a possible fraud scheme and referred the case to federal law enforcement.

In executing his fraudulent scheme, Jaklitsch submitted false information to ID.me. Jaklitsch requested that the unemployment insurance benefits be mailed to various addresses under his control. EDD approved dozens of the fraudulent claims and authorized Bank of America to mail out debit cards containing unemployment insurance benefits. Jaklitsch then activated the debit cards and used them to withdraw the benefits at ATMs. The scheme sought over $7.5 million in unemployment insurance benefits and caused EDD and the United States to incur actual losses of at least $3.4 million.

The New Jersey SBA Case

For the second case, according to court documents, between July 2020 and August 2020, Jaklitsch executed a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration (SBA) by fraudulently acquiring COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), which were loans meant to provide low-interest financing and grants to small businesses, renters, and homeowners in regions affected by declared disasters, like the COVID-19 pandemic.

To obtain an EIDL, a qualifying business applied to the SBA and provided certain information about its operations through an online portal. The EIDL approval process required applicants to supply minimal eligibility documentation and to affirm that the information in the application was true and correct under the penalty of perjury and applicable criminal statutes. The amount of an EIDL was based, in part, on the information provided by the applicant, including the business’s gross revenue and cost of goods sold. Qualifying entities could use EIDL funds only on certain expenses, including fixed debts, payroll, and accounts payable.

Jaklitsch or one or more co-schemers knowingly submitted fraudulent EIDL loan applications to the SBA in the names of entities that did not authorize the applications. The false information included, among other things, that (a) the schemers had the authority to submit the loan applications on behalf of the applying entities, (b) the entities’ gross revenues; (c) the entities’ costs of goods sold; and (d) bank account information purportedly belonging to the entities. These fraudulent applications sought and received over $1.2 million in EIDL loan funds that were sent to at least 14 separate bank accounts. Jaklitsch used a cellphone application to withdraw over $777,000 in cash out of the $1.2 million.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Labor – Office of the Inspector General, the Department of Homeland Security – Office of the Inspector General – Covid Fraud Unit, and the California Employment Development Department (EDD) – Investigation Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise N. Yasinow prosecuted the case.

This effort is part of a California COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force operation, one of three interagency COVID-19 fraud strike force teams established by the U.S. Department of Justice. The California Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources in the Eastern and Central Districts of California and focuses on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces use prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.

FRESNO, Calif. — Jose Monge-Ponce, 33, of Mexico, was sentenced today to 11 years and four months in prison for conspiring to manufacture, to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and marijuana, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, in January 2019, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at an unoccupied residence in Madera and found Ponce and his co-defendants, Oscar Rene Marrot-Garcia, 30, of Chowchilla and Francisco Alcantar-Miranda, 34, of Mexico. Inside the residence, the detectives found a methamphetamine lab, along with 22.4 pounds of methamphetamine in solution, 17 pounds of finished methamphetamine, 4 pounds of heroin, 1 pound of cocaine, 24 pounds of marijuana, and $18,000 in cash. Ponce was in possession of a loaded unregistered firearm, three cellphones, and pay-owe sheets. On Feb. 13, 2023, Ponce pleaded guilty to the conspiracy.

Alcantar and Marrot also previously entered guilty pleas and were sentenced to 10 years and six and a half years in prison, respectively.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Madera County Sheriff’s Office Narcotic Enforcement Team (MADNET) and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) High Impact Investigation Team (HITT), consisting of agents of Homeland Security Investigations, the California Department of Justice, the California Highway Patrol, the Sheriff’s Offices of Fresno, Tulare, and King Counties, and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen A. Escobar prosecuted the case.

FRESNO, Calif. — Roberto Carlos Leon-Garcia (Leon), 49, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for being in possession of a firearm while being in the United States without lawful status, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on Nov. 5, 2018, Leon was encountered during the execution of a federal search warrant related to a marijuana grow in Dos Palos. Leon indicated he resided on the property, which was leased by someone else. Inside his residence, agents found a New England Westinghouse rifle, along with three 7.62 mm caliber rounds that Leon was not authorized to possess because he did not have lawful status in the United States. Leon had previously been removed from the United States to Mexico on three occasions.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Merced County Sheriff’s Office and the Chowchilla Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar prosecuted the case.

FRESNO, Calif. — Kevin James Strutz, 51, of Ceres, pleaded guilty today to two counts of cyberstalking, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, Strutz secretly made a video recording of an adult female who stayed, as an Airbnb tenant, at the residence where Strutz was living in Ceres in February 2020. The victim ended her stay at the residence when she discovered a message on a cellphone that Strutz had left in a shared bathroom. Over the next several months, Strutz continued to contact the victim through multiple Facebook accounts. The messages became increasingly aggressive, and one included an image of the victim exiting a shower at the Airbnb residence that had been taken without her knowledge or consent. Strutz sent the image to her with a demand that she send him a sexually explicit video or he would send the photo to her friends and family.

When investigators reviewed evidence, they learned that Strutz previously had sent a series of electronic messages and handwritten letters to a different female victim. More specifically, from approximately September 2018 through late December 2018, Strutz left 15 handwritten letters that the defendant had placed on the victim’s vehicle. Many of the letters contained threats designed to coerce the victim into engaging in sexual acts with Strutz. He also sent messages to the victim from five different Facebook accounts and attempted to contact the victim using phone calls and messages.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Ceres Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa is prosecuting the case.

Strutz is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on Nov. 4, 2023. Strutz faces a maximum statutory penalty for each count of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a 39-count indictment Thursday against James Lane Winslett, 65, of Corning, charging him unlawful manufacturing and dealing in firearms, engaging in the business as a dealer in firearms without registering or paying tax, unlawful sales of firearms to prohibited persons, and multiple counts of possessing unregistered firearms, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. The indictment was unsealed today.

According to court documents, between Jan. 27, 2018, and Oct. 28, 2021, Winslett was manufacturing and dealing in firearms while he was not a licensed manufacturer or dealer.  Winslett also had not registered or paid the taxes necessary to deal in firearms, and in June 2020 he sold a firearm to a person prohibited from possessing it.  Winslett is additionally charged with 36 counts of possession of an unregistered firearm for the 36 silencers found at his residence. Silencers are firearms and are required to be registered under the National Firearms Act.

This case is the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from Customs and Border Protection and California Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Sauvageau is prosecuting the case.

If convicted of manufacturing and dealing in firearms, Winslett faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a fine up to $250,000. If convicted of any of the remaining counts, Winslett faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after considering any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

FRESNO, Calif. — Armando Rosales Gonzalez, 35, of Tulare; Rogelio Ceniceros Flores, 37, of Jalisco, Mexico; and Carlos Bobadilla, 39, of Tulare, were arrested on May 17, 2023, during a coordinated law enforcement operation and have been charged in a criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, the arrests were made as part of an investigation of a drug trafficking organization in California’s Central Valley. On May 17, 2023, law enforcement searched five properties in Tulare, Earlimart and Corcoran, resulting in the seizure of nearly 1,000 pounds of crystal methamphetamine and 14 firearms. Law enforcement also discovered and dismantled two active methamphetamine conversion laboratories with numerous 55-gallon drums filled with liquid methamphetamine in various stages of conversion to crystal methamphetamine.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Sacramento Multi-Jurisdictional Methamphetamine Enforcement Team (CALMMET); the Sacramento Sheriff’s Office, the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office, the Kings County Sheriff’s Office, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, the Tulare Tactical Narcotics Team (TNT), the Tulare Police Department, the Clovis Police Department, the Fresno Police Department, the Woodlake Police Department, and the Porterville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Antonio J. Pataca is prosecuting the case.

If convicted of the charges, the defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, a maximum penalty of life in prison and a fine of up to $10 million. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Roderick Rigmaiden, 37, and his wife Onjale Nettles, 33, both of Sacramento, were sentenced Tuesday to six years and nine months in prison and five years and 11 months in prison, respectively, for mail fraud and aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, Rigmaiden and Nettles stole mail, obtained the personal identifying information of others, and then assumed these victims’ identities to fraudulently purchase and finance almost $250,000 worth of cars from various auto dealerships in the Sacramento area, in the Bay Area, and in Orange County. Rigmaiden was a prolific mail thief and is tied to numerous postal burglaries—of postal boxes, of apartment complex mailboxes, and of mail trucks. During a search of their home, investigators found tens of thousands of pieces of stolen mail, as well as postal keys, key making equipment, and a credit card imprinter.

Rigmaiden and Nettles used stolen identities to fraudulently purchase and finance at least seven cars (and attempt an eighth) from auto dealerships. The vehicle purchases were typically accomplished by providing a down payment in the form of cash, check, or other monetary instrument, with the remainder of the purchase price secured by an auto loan. The monetary instruments presented for the down payment typically turned out to be fraudulent, and no payments were ever made towards the auto loans.

This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the California Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot C. Wong prosecuted the case.

FRESNO, Calif. — Devin Michael Cuellar, 29, a transient, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a sawed-off shotgun and ammunition, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, during the summer of 2021, Cuellar broke into a private residence on Koon Hollar Road in Wawona within Yosemite National Park and resided there for several months without permission of the owner. Cuellar possessed a sawed-off shotgun and ammunition that were found in the residence. Cuellar was previously convicted of carjacking and possessing controlled substances for sale and is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.

This case is the product of an investigation by the National Park Service with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the California Department of Justice’s Bureau of Forensic Services, and the Madera County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.

Cuellar is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on Sept. 5, 2023. Cuellar faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

FRESNO, Calif. — Henry Cox, 23, and Abel Lozano, 29, both of Sanger, pleaded guilty today to trafficking over 500 grams of fentanyl. Lozano also pleaded guilty to trafficking over 500 grams of methamphetamine and over 100 grams of a fentanyl analogue, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, investigation, dubbed “Operation Killer High,” began after a series of victims overdosed on counterfeit oxycodone M30 pills laced with fentanyl in the Fresno area. The investigation aimed to search for the drug dealers believed to have supplied the toxic pills that caused the spike in fentanyl-related overdoses. The operation uncovered a large drug-trafficking ring led by co-defendant Horacio Torrecillas Urias Jr., 22, of Fresno, the self-proclaimed “M30 king of Fresno.”

On Feb. 11, 2022, federal officers executed a search warrant at Lozano’s residence and found over a kilogram of fentanyl, 991 grams of p-flourofentanyl (an analogue more potent than fentanyl), and 907 grams of methamphetamine. According to Lozano’s plea agreement, he intended to distribute those drugs to other persons.

Also in February 2022, members of the investigative team intercepted communications between Henry Cox and others in which Cox discussed his plan to obtain and sell thousands of M30 fentanyl pills. The recorded calls led investigators to conduct a traffic stop on a car on Feb. 17, 2022. Officers searched the car and found about 20,000 fentanyl pills and almost 1 kilogram of fentanyl powder. According to Cox’s plea agreement, the drugs were part of the conspiracy in which he joined.

Charges are pending against Horacio Torrecillas Urias Jr and the other 15 co-defendants. The defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is the result of an investigation by FORT (a multi-agency team composed of Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Fresno Police Department), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Clovis Police Department, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, and the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, with assistance from the Bakersfield Police Department and the California Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin J. Gilio and Laurel J. Montoya are prosecuting the case.

Sentencing for Cox and Lozano is set for Aug. 28, 2023, before U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston. Cox and Lozano face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison and a fine up to $10 million. The actual sentences, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

This case is part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.), a program designed to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas as well as identifying wholesale distribution networks and international and domestic suppliers. In July 2018, the Justice Department announced the creation of S.O.S., which is being implemented in the Eastern District of California and nine other federal districts.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

FRESNO, Calif. — Juan Medina, 29, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to distribute heroin, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, in July 2015, Medina, a truck driver acting at the direction of a Mexican drug source of supply, went to Garden Grove and received $9,800 for a prior delivery of heroin orchestrated by the Mexican source.

Medina is the third courier in this case to enter a guilty plea. Roberto Palacios-Garcia, 37, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to seven years and three months in prison. Daniel Quiroz, 41, of Los Angeles, is scheduled for sentencing on July 10, 2023.

Charges are pending against a fourth defendant, Otoniel Cardenas-Torres, 33. Cardenas-Torres is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.

Medina is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on Sept. 5, 2023. Medina faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned an indictment today against Shasta Lea Schnittker, 41, of Montague, charging her with possessing visual depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on Feb. 22, 2022, law enforcement officers searched the home where Schnittker lived with her boyfriend during an investigation into her boyfriend. The boyfriend was arrested on state charges for lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14 years of age. A forensic review of the digital devices, computers, and electronic storage media seized during the search revealed Schnittker and her boyfriend had met online and discussed child sexual abuse material. Schnittker was found to have numerous videos and images depicting child sexual abuse material saved on her laptop.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office, and the Siskiyou County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily G. Sauvageau is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Schnittker faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and restitution to the victims of the offense. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.

FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned an indictment today against Scott Eric Anderson, 43, and Paul New, 55, both of Fresno, charging them with conspiracy to destroy by means of an explosive device and malicious destruction by means of an explosive device, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. Anderson was also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents, between November 2022 and February 2023, Anderson and New set off a series of pipe-bombs on unoccupied vehicles and property in Fresno. The bombs damaged vehicles belonging to two auto-related businesses on Clinton Avenue, and on Feb. 19, 2023, a bomb heavily damaged a vehicle used by a home health care business on Fallbrook Avenue. Anderson sometimes recorded his crimes by video. In addition, Anderson was found to be in possession of a pistol. He is prohibited from possessing firearms because of a previous conviction for carrying a loaded and concealed weapon.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Fresno Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael G. Tierney is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Anderson and New face a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine regarding the malicious destruction by means of explosive device charges and five years in prison and a $250,000 fine regarding the conspiracy charge. Anderson also faces 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine regarding the felon in possession of a firearm charge. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

FRESNO, Calif. — Sawtantra Chopra, 76, of Modesto, pleaded guilty Wednesday to three counts of illegally prescribing opioids and other medication, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, Chopra admitted prescribing drugs — including hydrocodone, alprazolam (Xanax), and Promethazine with codeine syrup — outside the usual course of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose. These drugs are highly addictive and commonly abused. They affect the central nervous system and may only be prescribed when medically required.

Chopra surrendered his medical license in 2020 as the case was pending.

This case is the product of an investigation by the California Department of Justice, Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse Drug Diversion Team, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Michael Tierney is prosecuting the case.

Chopra is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 5, 2023, by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston. Chopra faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

FRESNO, Calif. — Oscar Arturo Salomon Perez, 48, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced today to five years and three months in prison for distributing fentanyl and p-fluorofentanyl, an analogue of fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, in October 2021, Perez negotiated the sale of 10,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl and a kilogram of “Chinese food,” believed to be synthetic heroin laced with fentanyl. After confirming the prices with his supplier in Mexico, Perez advised that it would cost $3 per pill for the 10,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills and $22,000 for the “Chinese food.” Perez requested an additional $1,000 for making the delivery in Fresno for a total of $53,000. An undercover agent agreed to the terms. A couple hours later, Perez met with and showed the agent a large clear plastic bag containing 10,004 blue pills marked “M-30” containing fentanyl and another clear plastic bag containing about 2 pounds of p-fluorofentanyl in powder form. When the agent advised that another car was bringing the money, Perez fled and was eventually stopped by law enforcement officers. Another 219 blue pills containing fentanyl marked “M-30” were found in Perez’s vehicle.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Fresno High Impact Investigation Team (HIIT), which is a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Initiative (HIDTA) composed of law enforcement personnel from the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the California Department of Justice; the California Highway Patrol; the Fresno, Tulare, and Kings Counties Sheriff’s Offices; and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar prosecuted the case.

FRESNO, Calif. — Pedro Gavino, 27, of Orosi, pleaded guilty today to selling firearms without a license and conspiring to violate the Animal Welfare Act by selling gamecocks and participating in cockfighting events, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, from February 2017 to October 2018, Gavino negotiated for the sale of 28 firearms at Gavino’s ranch in Orosi and at different gas stations in Selma. He actually sold 24, including AR-15 type pistols and AR-15 type short-barreled rifles that had been privately made using unfinished receivers, also known as “ghost guns.”

On Feb. 14, 2018, during one of the illegal gun transactions, Gavino sold two American Game Fowl type of birds commonly used for cockfighting and six Mexican slashers, or short knives, that are attached to the leg of a rooster for fighting.

On April 15, 2018, Gavino and his father, co-defendant Pedro Gavino-Robles, 62, brought five gamecocks to a large cockfighting event in an orchard in Orosi where 200 to 300 spectators gathered. After two of the defendant’s gamecocks fought and won there was a dispute, gunshots were fired, and the crowd dispersed. On Oct. 4, 2018, during the execution of a federal search warrant at Gavino’s ranch, agents found 128 gamecocks, 30 hens used for breeding gamecocks, and 278 Mexican slashers.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Office of Inspector General, with assistance from the California Highway Patrol and the Fresno Police Department Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium (MAGEC). Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen A. Escobar is prosecuting the case.

Gavino-Robles is awaiting trial, set for Nov. 7, 2023. The charges against him are only allegations; and he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Gavino is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on Sept. 18, 2023. Gavino faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine as to each offense. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.