Local News

Man Charged with Violent Crimes in Sequoia National Park

FRESNO - A federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment today against Marvin Joseph Chang, 33, of Monterey Park, charging him with assault with a dangerous weapon, brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, being a felon in possession of ammunition, and vandalism, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to the indictment, on Feb. 19, 2021, within Sequoia National Park, Chang assaulted an individual with a firearm and brandished a semi-automatic 9 mm pistol. He also slashed the tire of a car in a parking lot inside the park. Chang subsequently was involved in a high-speed chase outside of the park that allegedly resulted in the shooting of a California Highway Patrol officer.

Condemned Inmate Rodney "The Dating Game Killer" Alcala Dies of Natural Causes

CORCORAN – Condemned inmate Rodney James Alcala, 77, an Orange County man who was on California’s death row, died of natural causes at 1:43 a.m. on July 24, 2021, at a hospital in Kings County.

Alcala was sentenced to death in Orange County in 1980 for the 1979 kidnapping and murder of 12-year-old Robin Samsoe. That judgment was reversed in 1984 by the California Supreme Court and Alcala was granted a new trial.

Auto Theft Detective Outsmarts Career Criminal

FRESNO - On the morning of July 21st, a truck attached to a trailer carrying two porta-potties was stolen from a business yard in Fresno. The suspect smashed the truck through a fence, causing thousands of dollars in damages. The owner of the truck discovered the theft and made a report to the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office. He told dispatchers he had located the truck through an onboard GPS tracker.

A deputy went to the location and spotted the truck, which belonged to United Site Services. The deputy attempted to make a traffic stop, but the suspect refused and took off. About two minutes into the pursuit, the suspect made an extremely dangerous maneuver by driving onto some railroad tracks in the area of N9rth Teilman Avenue and he continued across a bridge that passes over Highway 99.

Vice President of Modesto Hells Angels Motorcycle Club Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking Charges

FRESNO - Michael Shafer, 33, of Modesto, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, Shafer was the Vice President of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club in Modesto in 2019. As part of a years-long investigation into the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, investigators obtained a court-authorized wiretap for Shafer’s phone. The wiretapped calls and messages showed that Shafer was conspiring to distribute marijuana and heroin. Specifically, in April 2019, Shafer conspired with a former Hells Angels member who was incarcerated in Pleasant Valley State Prison to smuggle heroin into prison.

Three Charged in Prison-Based COVID-19 Unemployment Benefits Scheme

FRESNO - On Thursday, July 15, a grand jury returned an indictment against three defendants for a scheme to submit over $1.4 million in fraudulent unemployment insurance claims in other inmates’ identities to the California Employment Development Department (EDD), Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

The indictment charges Daryol Richmond, 30; Telvin Breaux, 29; and Holly White, 30, with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. Richmond and Breaux are inmates at the Kern Valley State Prison and California Correctional Institute, respectively. White resides in Los Angeles. The indictment was unsealed today following White’s arrest.