News

Conviction of Human Trafficking & Extortion in One of California's First Farm Labor Trafficking Cases

FRESNO - Efren Alvarez (53, of Fresno) has been convicted of human labor trafficking and extortion in one of California’s first farm labor trafficking cases, the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office has announced.

Today, Mr. Alvarez was convicted by a Fresno County jury of one (1) felony count of Human Trafficking and three (3) felony counts of Extortion in order to maintain the victims’ labor in March of 2016. In committing his crimes, the defendant utilized a complex scheme whereby he obtained the victims’ visas, passports, and permits as collateral for a loan, and then threatened to harm and report each to immigration authorities if they did not continue to work for him. The victims’ ultimately sought help from the United Farm Workers, who then reached out to law enforcement.

25 Ms-13 Gang Members Arrested In Mendota And Los Angeles For Assault And Drug Trafficking

FRESNO - As part of a multi-agency operation, 25 individuals associated with Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) were arrested in California on federal and state charges in connection with their gang activities, including assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Additionally, two federal indictments were unsealed today: one charging two MS-13 gang members with kidnapping and murder in aid of racketeering and another charging three MS-13 gang members with conspiracy and assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering.

The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott, Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division Brian Benczkowski, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan of the FBI’s Sacramento Field Office, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Ryan L. Spradlin, Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp, and Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims.

Two Women Killed at the Hands of a Family Member

MADERA - Earlier Thursday evening Madera Police officers were dispatched to a report of a stabbing near Almond Avenue and Pear Street in the area of Road 28. When officers arrived, they found that three women had been stabbed and the suspect was a family member.

Because of the nature of their wounds first responders believed the victims would not survive transportation to a Fresno hospital, ambulances were diverted to Madera Community Hospital. While in transport, two of the victims died from their wounds. The third victim is in stable condition.

Home Prices Rise Three Times Faster than Rents

SANTA CLARA - As home prices rise across the U.S., choosing to rent has become increasingly popular. New analysis by realtor.com® reveals the monthly costs of buying a home have risen by 14 percent over the past year. This is more than three times the 4 percent increase in monthly rental costs. Additionally, this analysis found that the number of places where it is cheaper to buy has significantly declined in the past year.

"Even setting aside big upfront expenses like a down payment, rising month-by-month costs are likely keeping many people from purchasing," said Danielle Hale, chief economist at realtor.com^®. "Today only 41 percent of people live in a county where the median income family can afford to buy a home at the median list price, and affordability declined significantly over the past year. Since home ownership has historically been an important source of household wealth creation, it could be problematic if this trend continues for too long. Still, even in places where renting is currently more affordable, rising home prices provide wealth building opportunity for home buyers."

Federal, State And Local Leaders And Experts Announce Results Of Forest Watch, A Public Lands Marijuana Grow Eradication And Reclamation Project

SACRAMENTO - Today, federal, state, and local leaders joined with experts to announce the results of Operation Forest Watch, a coordinated effort to address the devastating damage done to our national forests by illegal, public-land marijuana grows. This months-long effort, led by U.S. Forest Service and joined by various federal, state, county and local law enforcement agencies, as well as the California National Guard, focused on the eradication of marijuana grows on public lands and sought to remediate the environmental damage caused by such activity.

Making the announcement today were U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, Acting Associate U.S. Attorney General Jesse Panuccio, Acting Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey H. Wood of the U.S. Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, U.S.D.A. Forest Service Chief Forester Vicki Christiansen, U.S.D.A. Director of Law Enforcement and Investigations Tracy Perry, U.S.D.A. Pacific Southwest Regional Forester Randy Moore, Integral Ecology Research Center Director Mourad Gabriel, Bureau of Land Management California State Director Jerry Perez, Major General Matthew P. Beevers Deputy Adjutant General of the California Military Department, California National Guard Counterdrug Task Force Commander and Coordinator Colonel Robert Paoletti, and Bill Ruzzamenti of the Central Valley California High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas.

Recent Indictments for Illegal Possession of a Firearm for Defendants from Bakersfield and Fresno

FRESNO - As part the Eastern District of California’s strategy to reduce violent crime by focusing on firearms prosecutions, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced the following recent indictments for previously convicted felons being found in possession of a firearm or ammunition.

On August 23, 2018, James Escandon Jr., 34, of Bakersfield, was charged in an indictment with two-counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to the indictment, Escandon possessed a Smith & Wesson .357-caliber revolver and a Rock Island Armory .45‑caliber handgun. The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Bakersfield Police Department.

Couple Charged with Crimes Committed in Vacaville, Rancho Cordova, Folsom, and Rocklin

SACRAMENTO - A federal grand jury returned a 17-count indictment Thursday against Cody Patrick Cannon, 30, and Candice Nicole Freitas, 31, both transients, charging them with a scheme involving mail theft, aggravated identity theft, bank fraud, and possessing stolen credit and debit cards and stolen driver’s licenses and passports, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to the indictment, between January 2018 and August 2018, Cannon and Freitas engaged in a scheme in which they used counterfeit U.S. Postal Service keys to open apartment complex mailboxes in Vacaville and steal mail. They then harvested personally identifiable information, financial information, and credit and debit cards. They defrauded banks by using the stolen cards to purchase goods and withdraw cash from ATMs in Vacaville, Folsom, Rocklin and Rancho Cordova.