Local News

Local Assemblyman Introduces Legislation to Strengthen California’s Firefighting Mutual Aid System

SACRAMENTO - Assemblymember Adam C. Gray (D-Merced) has introduced Assembly Bill 3198 to establish a grant program for local fire departments participating in California’s firefighting mutual aid system.

For nearly seven decades, fire departments have been part of a “neighbor helping neighbor” system of mutual aid. Under the California Fire Service and Rescue Emergency Mutual Aid System, local jurisdictions experiencing an emergency incident likely to exceed, or have exceeded, their ability to control it may request the outside assistance of other jurisdictions.

Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Drug Conspiracy in Madera

FRESNO - Francisco Alcantar-Miranda, aka Paquin, 31, of Mexico, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to manufacture, to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and marijuana, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. According to the plea agreement, Alcantar assisted in manufacturing methamphetamine and storing large quantities of other drugs at an unoccupied house in Madera.

At the end of Jan. 2019, detectives executed a search warrant at the house and found Alcantar with co‑defendants Oscar Rene Marrot-Garcia, 27, of Chowchilla, and Jose Monge-Ponce, 31, of Mexico. The detectives also found over 10 pounds of methamphetamine, 1 pound of heroin, 1 pound of cocaine, and 25 pounds of marijuana. As part of the plea agreement, Alcantar will forfeit a handgun and approximately $18,000 in cash, which was found during the search of the house.

Sailor from Lemoore Charged with Child Sexual Exploitation Offenses

FRESNO - A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment today against Christopher Jeorge Millican, 26, of Lemoore, charging him with one count of sexual exploitation of children and one count of receipt of child pornography, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, on July 27, 2018, a parent contacted Snapchat and reported that someone, later identified as Millican, had been “flirting” with an 11-year-old girl and soliciting pictures of and location information for the child. Snapchat reviewed Millican’s account and discovered that he had been soliciting several minors for sexually explicit content.

Fresno Man Charged with Distribution of Child Pornography

FRESNO - A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment today against Gary Lee Briggs, 63, of Fresno, charging him with receipt and distribution of child pornography, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. According to court documents, on Jan. 3, a concerned citizen reported to the police that Briggs appeared to be trying to lure an 8-year-old boy into Briggs’s apartment in Fresno.

When officers confronted Briggs, he reported that he planned to test his ability to withstand urges that attracted him to the boy. Briggs also admitted that Facebook recently had terminated his account for having transmitted sexually explicit material. Facebook separately had notified the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children that Briggs’s Facebook account had been used to transmit sexually explicit images of minors from August through December 2019.

Bakersfield Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Structure Funds

FRESNO - Majed Bashir Akroush, aka Mike Akroush, aka Magic Mike, 52, of Bakersfield, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to structure at least half a million dollars in cash withdrawals from his bank accounts, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, Akroush structured funds in amounts just under $10,000 in order to evade the currency transaction report filing requirements. As part of the plea agreement, he agreed to the forfeiture of the following assets derived from his structuring activity: real property in Bakersfield, approximately $109,555 seized from five different bank accounts, approximately $199,181 in cash seized from his residence, approximately $233,460 in cash seized from two safe deposit boxes, and a 1962 Chevrolet Impala.