FRESNO - A federal grand jury returned an 18-count indictment on April 11 against Deena Vang Lee, 38, of Fresno, charging her with wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of false and fraudulent tax returns, and making and subscribing false and fraudulent tax returns, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, between February 2012 and February 2016, Lee prepared tax returns for a fee for friends, family, and other acquaintances that claimed thousands of dollars in tax credits for education and child care expenses that were not actually incurred. Lee also submitted fraudulent tax returns on her own behalf, failing to report the income from her tax preparation services.
FRESNO - Oscar Ivan Salazar-Avalos (Salazar), 29, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced today to six years and nine months in prison for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. 
MADERA - Late Friday night officers from the Madera Police Department responded to calls of reckless driving in the Home Depot parking lot. when officers arrived and spotted a Ford Mustang doing donuts in the parking lot. Officer Short conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle and when he exited his patrol car to make contact with the driver, the vehicle fled through the parking lot at a high rate of speed. 
FRESNO - Haitham Eid Habash, aka Eddie Habash, 55, of Hawthorne, was sentenced today to five years and three months in prison for his role in supplying synthetic drugs to wholesale internet drug traffickers, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. Habash was also ordered to forfeit over $193,000 in proceeds derived from drug trafficking.
MADERA - Isaac Bellinger, age 72, was denied parole for a period of three years in a hearing that took place on April 10, 2019, at the California Health Care Facility in Stockton, California. The Madera County District Attorney’s Office sent an attorney representative to argue against release. Despite being eligible for “Elder Parole”, the Board of Prison Terms ruled that Mr. Bellinger lacked insight into his life crime and, as such, parole was denied. 
