Local News

Former Bookkeeper and Associate Sentenced to Prison for Embezzling More Than $1 Million from Fresno Business

FRESNO - U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd sentenced Brandi Marshall, 41, of Fresno to four years and three months in prison, and Daniel Barrios Jr., 37, of Fresno to two years and seven months in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud and conspiracy to launder money in connection with their embezzlement of money from a Fresno business, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, Marshall was employed as the company’s bookkeeper between October 2014 and March 2016 and was responsible for, among other things, receiving and depositing checks from customers to pay their invoices. During that time, she and Barrios misappropriated more than 100 checks and fraudulently deposited them into Barrios’ personal bank account.

Cool Hand Luke's Shuts Doors in Madera & Turlock

MADERA – Around one o’clock this afternoon with customers eating their lunch the owner of Madera’s Cool Hand Luke’s Steak House and locked the doors. While employees knew that today would be the last day the restaurant would be open, none of them knew at what time they would be out of a job.

According to employees that contacted Big Valley News the restaurant, owned by Tom Pilloud of Fresno, was having issues with vendors and employees. One former employee said she would try to cash her payroll checks but she wasn’t sure if it would bounce or not.

PETA Calls for Investigation of Local Slaughterhouse

MADERA - Armed with a damning U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) report, PETA sent s letter today calling on the Madera County District Attorney's Office to investigate and, as appropriate, file criminal charges against JJ Meat Company and the worker or workers responsible for the botched stunning of a calf.

The letter follows a second report released just yesterday revealing that on April 25, workers at the slaughterhouse dragged a conscious goat by the back legs into the blood pit. According to the first USDA report, on April 3, an inspector discovered a calf who'd been improperly shot in the head crying out in the blood pit and attempting to stand up.

President Of Health Care Company Based In Fresno And Visalia Pleads Guilty To Illegal Use Of Client Funds

FRESNO - Mark Merrill Reynolds, 62, of Fresno, pleaded guilty today to unlawfully converting to his own use client funds held by his company, Ben-E-Lect, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. According to court documents, Reynolds was the president and sole shareholder of Ben‑E-Lect and Ben-E-Lect of Visalia.

These companies operated in Fresno and Tulare Counties. Ben-E-Lect’s clients were small to medium sized businesses that purchased high‑deductible, fully insured group medical plans from independent insurance carriers, and then self‑insured beneficiaries for amounts up to the amount of the high deductible. Ben-E-Lect processed the claims using funds that its clients paid into an account known as the Ben-E-Lect Employer Elect account.

Fresno Man Sentenced for Laser Strike on Police Helicopter

FRESNO - Michael Vincent Alvarez, 32, of Fresno, Calif., was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for striking Air-1, a Fresno Police Department helicopter, with a powerful green laser beam, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. According to court documents, on October 22, 2017, Alvarez struck a Fresno Police helicopter several times with a powerful green laser. The laser caused visual interference of the tactical flight officer and disrupted an air support response to a domestic violence call.

Alvarez was driving a vehicle on Highway 99 when he pointed the laser at the helicopter and tracked and struck it. When ground units were called to apprehend Alvarez, he drove through the streets of Fresno at a high rate of speed, eluding officers for several miles until he crashed into the center divider at First Street and Floradora Avenue. Following the crash, Alvarez ran into a residential area, jumping several fences until he was arrested in a backyard. A green laser pointer that officers found inside the driver side door pocket of Alvarez’s vehicle had a danger warning on it.