News

Bakersfield Man Indicted for Unauthorized Transfers of more than $450,000 from A Victim’s Bank Account to a Brokerage Account He Controlled

FRESNO - Ramon Armendariz, Jr., 33, of Bakersfield, was indicted on Oct. 15, 2020, and charged with multiple counts of wire fraud, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, Armendariz unlawfully obtained personal identifying information and bank account information of the victim, S.L., which he used to open a brokerage account in the victim’s name. Armendariz used S.L.’s personal bank accounts to fund the brokerage account. Armendariz listed himself as an authorized check writer on the brokerage account in order to access the funds when the transfers to the brokerage account were completed. Armendariz’s scheme unraveled when S.L. discovered the unauthorized transfers and notified the financial institution, resulting in a freeze of the funds in the brokerage account.

Former Fresno IRS Employee Sentenced to 6 Years in Prison for Wire Fraud, Aggravated Identity Theft, and Tax Fraud

FRESNO - A former employee of the IRS working in Fresno was sentenced today to six years in prison for a scheme to receive tax refunds by filing false tax returns using the stolen identities of at-risk youths, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

On Dec. 12, 2019, a federal jury found Marcela Heredia, 47, of Riverside, guilty of seven counts of wire fraud, four counts of aggravated identity theft, and one count of making a false tax return.

More than 60 Aryan Brotherhood Gang Members and Associates Arrested for Violent Crime, Firearms, Fraud, and Drug Trafficking

FRESNO - As part of a multi-agency operation, more than 60 individuals associated with the Aryan Brotherhood were arrested in California, Nevada, and Montana on federal and state charges in connection with their gang activities, including violent crimes, illegal firearms trafficking and possession, and drug trafficking.

The charges were announced today by U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp, Special Agent in Charge Patrick Gorman of the ATF’s San Francisco Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan of the FBI’s Sacramento Field Office, and Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims.

Former Correctional Officer Charged with Civil Rights Violations for Assaulting Inmates

SACRAMENTO - A former California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) correctional officer was charged today with criminal civil rights violations and submitting false reports, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

A federal grand jury in Sacramento returned an indictment against Arturo Pacheco, 38, of Mather, charging him with two counts of deprivation of rights under color of law and two counts of falsification of records in a federal investigation.

Operators of Large-Scale Drug Trafficking Organization in Kern County Face Federal Charges

SACRAMENTO - A federal grand jury returned three indictments against nine individuals on Thursday, charging the defendants with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine in Kern County, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. The first indictment charges Miguel Zuniga Arteaga, 41, of Delano; Armando Martinez, 60, of Los Angeles; Terry Whited, 37, of Idaho; Miguel Angel Sanchez-Meza, 48, of Mexico; Juan Vizuett-Resendiz, 34, of Texas; and Vincente Salvador Arenas-Garcia, 36, of Bakersfield, with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine,

According to court documents, between Aug. 9, 2017, and Nov. 10, 2020, these defendants conspired to distribute methamphetamine in Kern County and elsewhere. During the course of this investigation, law enforcement obtained court-authorized wiretaps and seized over 44 pounds (20 kilograms) of methamphetamine, approximately $259,840 in purported narcotics proceeds, and seven firearms.

Fresno Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Assaulting a Postal Worker

FRESNO - Pablo G. Rivera, 36, of Fresno, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd to two years and six months in prison for assault on a federal officer or employee, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, on Jan. 19, 2019, Rivera forcibly assaulted a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier in his mail truck while the mail carrier was delivering mail. That day, the defendant attempted to enter several occupied vehicles on Shaw Avenue in Fresno, CA. When he was unsuccessful, he forced his way into a mail truck by shoving the mail carrier. The mail carrier escaped, but Rivera absconded with the mail truck. He was apprehended after he crashed into a telephone pole and fled on foot. Rivera was charged in both state and federal court. He pleaded guilty to the federal charge on Aug. 21.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Fresno Police Department and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin J. Gilio 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 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.

Tulare County Man Arrested for Over $8 M Fraud that Purported to Turn Cow Manure into Renewable Energy

FRESNO - Raymond Brewer, 64, of Porterville, was arrested today on a 24-count indictment charging him with wire fraud, money laundering, and aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. A grand jury returned an indictment on Oct. 29, and it was unsealed today.

According to court records, since at least March 2014, Brewer acted primarily through his now-defunct, Tulare-based company called CH4 Power to steal at least $8,750,000 from investors. He purported to build anaerobic digesters on dairies in Fresno, Kern, Kings, and Tulare counties and elsewhere in California and Idaho.