Local News

Bakersfield West Side Crip Member Convicted of Narcotics Trafficking

FRESNO - On Aug. 9, after a five-day jury trial, Jarvis Thomas, 34, of Bakersfield, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between Sept. 27, 2017, and Sept. 11, 2018, Thomas conspired with others to possess and distribute methamphetamine in Bakersfield and North Dakota.

According to court documents, on Dec. 14, 2017, after a 10-month investigation, more than 35 members and associates of West Side Crips (WSC), a local criminal street gang, were arrested on federal and state charges including burglary, illegal gun possession, drug sales, and murder.

Kaiser Permanente Provides Water Bottle Refilling Stations in Madera Unified School District

FRESNO - Madera and Sanger students will have a healthy start to the school year with access to new refillable water bottle stations thanks to a Kaiser Permanente Fresno grant.

Madera and Sanger Unified School Districts each received a $75,000 grant from Kaiser Permanente Fresno to purchase and install new refillable water bottle stations. Installation took place over the summer and now most of the schools in both districts have water stations available to students and staff.

Fresno PD DUI Checkpoint Nets 8 Arrests

FRESNO - The Fresno Police Department arrested 8 impaired drivers while conducting a DUI/Driver’s License checkpoint on August 24, 2019. The checkpoint was at Palm and Pinedale between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m.

In addition, 22 drivers were cited/arrested for operating a vehicle unlicensed or with a suspended/revoked license, No Suspects arrested for illegal drugs, No suspects Arrested on other Criminal Charges, 46 Citations issued, 26 vehicles towed.

Former Marine and Taft Resident Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Child Pornography Offense

FRESNO - U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd sentenced Hector Hinojosa‑Cisneros, 26, formerly of Taft, today to 12 years in prison for his conviction for receipt and distribution of child pornography, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. In addition, Hinojosa-Cisneros was sentenced to 15 years of supervised release, ordered to pay penalty assessments of $5,100, and $2,500 in restitution to one victim.

According to court documents, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children reported that hundreds of images of child pornography had been uploaded to a Google Plus Photos account. Investigators in Bakersfield confirmed that Hinojosa-Cisneros controlled the account and executed a search warrant at Hinojosa‑Cisneros’s residence in Taft.

San Luis Obispo Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Distribute Marijuana on the Dark Web

FRESNO - Daniel McMonegal, 36, of San Luis Obispo, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to distribute a controlled substance, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. According to court documents, McMonegal, using the online monikers “Sawgrass,” “Ross4Less,” and “ChristmasTree,” distributed marijuana on various dark web marketplaces, including Dream Market.

McMonegal was also the owner of a marijuana delivery service in San Luis Obispo called West Coast Organix, which claimed to be a nonprofit medical marijuana cooperative. McMonegal then laundered the Bitcoin proceeds of his drug distribution through an undercover agent located in New York. After receiving the bitcoin from McMonegal, the undercover agent mailed parcels of cash to McMonegal in San Luis Obispo and Mariposa. In total, McMonegal distributed approximately 146 kilograms of marijuana in exchange for approximately $476,500 in bitcoin.