News

OAKHURST - Thursday afternoon the Madera County Sheriff’s Communications Center received a call regarding a female subject who had fallen along Lewis Creek at Lewis Creek National Recreation Trail. The patient, a 50-year-old female from Madera County, tripped and fell down about 30- 40 feet into a notch in the rock face while hiking along the creek with her family. She suffered injuries to her lower leg and was unable to walk, and the rock face prevented her from crawling up to safety. Family and bystanders were able to call 911 to request help.

Crews from MCSO, MCSO Search and Rescue Volunteers, CAL-FIRE, Madera County Fire, Sierra Ambulance, California Highway Patrol Helicopter, United States Forest Service Law Enforcement, and USFS Fire responded to the location. Crews were able to locate the female above Corlieu Falls.

SACRAMENTO -  An indictment was unsealed following the arrest of an Acampo man Monday, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. On June 10, a federal grand jury returned a six-count indictment against Robert Allen Pooley, 46, of Acampo, charging him with wire fraud and aggravated identity theft related to tandem parachuting courses.

According to court documents, in 2010, Pooley obtained ratings as a “tandem examiner” with the U.S. Parachute Association (USPA) and as a “tandem examiner” with Uninsured United Parachute Technologies LLC (UPT), a manufacturer of tandem parachute systems. He then began conducting training courses for candidates seeking to obtain their USPA Tandem Instructor rating and/or their certification to use UPT tandem parachute systems. He charged for these courses and conducted them at a skydiving business located in Acampo.

SACRAMENTO -  Robert Joseph Maher, 42, formerly of Stockton, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez to six years and three months in prison for mail fraud and aggravated identity theft, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, between November 2010 and February 2018, Maher participated in a scheme to defraud the State of California Employment Development Department (EDD) by filing fraudulent claims for unemployment insurance benefits. In furtherance of this scheme, Maher and his co-defendant, Michael Herron II, also of Stockton, created fictitious companies and fictitious employees by using the real identities of persons with and without their knowledge. They then filed claims with EDD, falsely stating that the employees had been laid-off or fired. The unemployment benefits were deposited onto debit cards that were mailed to addresses controlled by Maher, Herron, or their associates.

VISALIA -  To better reflect the breadth of services it offers to elevate the health and well-being of the Central Valley, the largest district hospital in the state and the only California affiliate of the Cleveland Clinic Heart, Vascular and Thoracic Institute, has completed an extensive rebranding initiative.

The largest acute care hospital and the only trauma center between Bakersfield and Fresno is now Kaweah Health following a rebranding initiative that includes a new name, a new logo, and an updated website.

FRESNO -  A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment today against Keith Breazell, 31, of Fresno, charging him with being a felon in possession of ammunition, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.  According to court documents, on May 25, 2021, detectives arrested Breazell for unlawfully possessing a semi‑automatic, .40-caliber pistol with no serial number.

These guns are often referred to as “ghost guns” because the lack of a serial number on the firearm renders them untraceable. Breazell’s ghost gun was found inside a satchel that he had abandoned after fleeing from the approaching officers. The firearm was loaded with 15 rounds of ammunition. Breazell is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition because of his prior criminal history. In 2014, he was convicted of assaulting a person with a semiautomatic firearm. He also has two prior convictions for illegally possessing firearms.

FRESNO -  Christina Smith, 38, who was on parole and had previously been incarcerated at the Central California Women’s Facility (CCWF) in Chowchilla, pleaded guilty in federal court today to conspiracy and aggravated identity theft charges for the submission of fraudulent unemployment insurance claims to the California Employment Development Department (EDD) in the names of current CCWF inmates, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, Sholanda Thomas, 37, a current CCWF inmate, sent her own and several other inmates’ personal identifying information to Smith to submit the unemployment insurance claims in their names. The underlying applications represented that the inmates had been working various jobs, which was untrue because they were incarcerated and therefore ineligible for benefits. The loss to the EDD and the United States is over $250,000. Smith split the proceeds with her co-conspirators.