News

Former Merced Resident Sentenced to 60 Years in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of Minors

FRESNO - Matthew Sheffield, 41, of Merced, was sentenced today to 60 years in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release for his two convictions for sexual exploitation of a minor, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. In addition, Sheffield was ordered to pay $100,200 in special assessments and $25,000 in restitution to each of the two victims.

According to court documents, law enforcement agents first encountered sexually explicit material in February 2018, and through investigative work and assistance from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, ultimately identified Sheffield as the person responsible for creating and distributing the material on the internet. While executing a search warrant at Sheffield’s house, agents recognized unique objects depicted in the images he created. On Aug. 29, 2019, Sheffield was indicted, and on March 21, 2022, he pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual exploitation of children.

This case resulted from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation office in Fresno and the FBI Child Exploitation Operational Unit in Linthicum, Maryland. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa and Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section Trial Attorney Nadia Prinz 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.

Indictment Unsealed Charging Former Member of Congress with Multiple Fraud Schemes

FRESNO - A 28-count indictment was unsealed today, charging Terrance John “TJ” Cox, 59, of Fresno, with 15 counts of wire fraud, 11 counts of money laundering, one count of financial institution fraud, and one count of campaign contribution fraud, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, Cox perpetrated multiple fraud schemes targeting companies he was affiliated with and their clients and vendors. Cox created unauthorized off-the-books bank accounts and diverted client and company money into those accounts through false representations, pretenses, and promises. From 2013 to 2018, across two different fraud schemes, Cox illegally obtained over $1.7 million in diverted client payments, company loans, and investments he solicited and stole.

Southern California Republican Woman Sentenced for Madera County Voter Fraud

MADERA – The Madera County Registrar of Voters announced that last month, Elizabeth Gale, a resident of San Diego, pleaded guilty to committing voter fraud in the 2021 California Gubernatorial Recall Election.

“Ms. Gale made the unfortunate mistake of believing that though her mother had recently passed, she could get away with voting her ballot, forging her signature, and claiming to have witnessed her mother signing the ballot,” stated Rebecca Martinez, the Madera County Registrar of Voters. “Fortunately for the people of Madera County, we have safeguards in place to detect these types of illegal activities, so Ms. Gale’s poor decision was discovered, and she was prosecuted.”

Kern County Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Illegally Cultivating Marijuana in the Sequoia National Forest

FRESNO - David Moreno Florez, 28, of Taft, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston to 12 years in prison for illegally cultivating marijuana in a national forest and possessing a firearm in furtherance of that offense, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, in July 2019, law enforcement officers located a clandestine marijuana grow site in Sequoia National Forest in Fresno County. On Aug. 2, 2019, officers hiked into the grow site, where they found and arrested Marino Cruz Diaz and Moreno Florez, who was carrying a loaded, AR-15 style rifle.

Aryan Brotherhood Gang Member from Visalia Charged for Firearm Possession

FRESNO - A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment today against Brian Thomas Whitworth, 38, of Visalia, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, officers were investigating a vehicle theft reported by Whitworth, but upon reviewing his home’s surveillance footage, they saw that Whitworth had fired a rifle during the theft. Officers recovered a rifle matching the description of the rifle Whitworth was seen firing in the surveillance footage. In jail calls, Whitworth admitted to knowledge of the firearm and also discussed his gang membership. Whitworth was previously convicted of felonies, including assault with a deadly weapon and vehicle theft, and was therefore prohibited from possessing firearms.

The Madera Fair Takes You Back with Tons of Discounts: September 8-11

MADERA - Remember the days of the local community fair, where folks competed to be recognized for the best homemade jelly or the biggest home-grown pumpkin? Where you could watch the 4H and FFA kids collect ribbons for the animals and projects they had been working on all year? You could shop all the vendor booths for items you can only find at the fair, and there were always fun carnival rides and midway games to play. Not to mention treating yourself to all the corndogs and cotton candy you could eat. Well, the good news is it is that time again!

The Madera District Fair kicks off its four-day run on September 8^th. All your favorite fair foods will be on sale from local service clubs and vendors. How long has it been since you have had a Jumbo Corndog or Frozen Banana? In addition, all your favorite fair acts will be roaming the grounds waiting to entertain you with magic, balloon animals, and music. The Midway of Fun will be back with all your favorite carnival rides and games, and let us not forget the hours of entertainment on all of the fair’s stages. This year the gate admissions during the fair will be $15 for adults over 13 years of age and $10 for seniors; kids 12 years old and younger are free when accompanied by an adult.

Former Sanger Police Officer Charged with Multiple Civil Rights Violations Involving Sexual Assault

FRESNO - federal grand jury returned a 10-count indictment that was unsealed today charging a former Sanger Police Department officer with deprivation of constitutional rights under color of law for sexually assaulting four women with whom he interacted during the course of his duties. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Dennis Guertin of the FBI Sacramento Field Office made the announcement.

According to the indictment, on multiple occasions from August 2017 to June 2021, J. Deshawn Torrence, 38, of Corcoran, California, engaged in various forms of nonconsensual sexual conduct, ranging from directing a victim to remove her clothing without a legitimate law enforcement purpose to committing aggravated sexual abuse, all while serving as a police officer. Torrence is no longer employed by the Sanger Police Department.