FRESNO - Ranjan Rajbanshi, D.D.S., 46, of Bakersfield and Santa Barbara, pleaded guilty today to stealing $500,000 in COVID-19 relief money, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court records, Rajbanshi ran a dental practice in Bakersfield and Santa Barbara. From April 2020 through February 2022, he received over $850,000 in COVID-19 relief money from the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). He represented to the government that he would only use the relief money for specified business purposes such as facility costs, payroll, and protective equipment for himself and his staff.
Missouri Man Pleads Guilty to Interstate Marijuana Shipment from Fresno
FRESNO = David Agustus McGowan, 63, of Kansas City, Missouri, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana that was shipped from Fresno to Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, in November 2018, McGowan’s co-defendants Patrick Maldonado, 47, of Madera; Elias Zambrano Jr., 43, of Fresno; Tan Minh Vo, 50, of San Jose; Tien Van Phan, 58, of Milpitas; and Halen Frazier, 37, of Kingsville, Missouri, coordinated the shipment of nearly 500 pounds of marijuana to Frazier in Kansas City. The first shipment was seized from Frazier during a traffic stop after Phan delivered 92 pounds of marijuana to him in two suitcases at a hotel in Kansas City.
Man Charged for Sexual Assault in Sequoia National Park
FRESNO - A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment today against Luis Eduardo Sanchez-Azpeitia, 46, of Mexico City, charging him with sexual abuse and abusive sexual contact, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on July 31, 2023, Sanchez-Azpeitia entered a woman’s cabin in Sequoia National Park and committed one act of sexual assault and acts of abusive sexual contact. The victim did not consent to any of the defendant’s sexual conduct, repeatedly told the defendant no, and tried to make him stop his sexual advances.
Oakhurst Park & Ride Features NEW Visitor Information Kiosk and Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Station
OAKHURST - Visit Yosemite | Madera County, in collaboration with Madera County, is pleased to announce the completion of the enhanced Park & Ride services and Visitor Information Kiosk project located adjacent to the Oakhurst Library. This completed project offers visitors and residents a convenient solution for accessing local dining, shopping, entertainment, information, and local maps, free parking, as well as four charging stations for those traveling with electric vehicles.
Madera County has taken significant steps to cater to the growing need for sustainable transportation options by installing Electric Vehicle charging stations around the county. The Oakhurst Park & Ride is now equipped with four EV charging stations, available at a rate of $0.20/kWh and free for the first 240 minutes with $5/hour after, encouraging environmentally conscious travel for electric car owners. Moreover, the inclusion of the Madera County Connection bus stop and Oakhurst Trolley stop further underlines the commitment to expanding public transportation solutions that extend the charm of Oakhurst to the broader region.
Maderan Serves with U.S. Navy Helicopter Squadron Supporting Maritime Missions Around the Globe
KANEOHE BAY, Hawaii – Airman Apprentice Crisol Reyes, a native of Madera, California, serves with Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 37, operating out of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The squadron’s primary mission is to conduct sea control operations in open-ocean and coastal environments. This includes hunting for submarines, searching for surface targets over the horizon, and conducting search and rescue operations.Reyes, a 2014 Madera South High School graduate, joined the Navy one year ago. “In my civilian life, I was working several jobs and barely had time to enjoy life,” said Reyes. "I joined the Navy for a better life and to have a place of my own and a career."
Kern County Man Pleads Guilty to Large-Scale Methamphetamine Conspiracy
FRESNO - Alberto Gomez-Santiago, 37, a Mexican national residing in Arvin, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, in March 2021, Gomez delivered for distribution 26 pounds of methamphetamine to co-defendants Jorge Calderon-Campos, 42, a Mexican national residing in Bakersfield, and Mark Garcia, 23, of Bakersfield. During a traffic stop, law enforcement officers later seized the drug from Garcia’s vehicle.
According to court documents, the transaction was one of many involving Calderon-Campos, who was the target of a wiretap investigation that resulted in the seizure of more than 86 pounds of methamphetamine and 1 kilogram of heroin. The wiretap investigation also uncovered an illegal cockfighting enterprise involving Calderon-Campos, who is charged in a separate indictment with violations of the Animal Welfare Act.
Frosty Queen Burglarized by Southern California Frequent Flyer Criminal
MADERA – Madera Police responded to a report of a silent alarm at the Frosty Queen Restaurant on North Gateway Drive Thursday night. Police discovered the restaurant had just been broken into, and the safe was removed from the property. A quick search of the area uncovered a suspect hiding in the bushes along Freeway 99.
Suspect Dache Kelly, Jr. (23) of Riverside, California, told police he knew nothing of the burglary and was just trying to nap in the bushes while traveling through Madera. His story might have worked if it were not for the digital surveillance system the restaurant employs that produced high-definition photos of Kelly in the restaurant and breaking into the office to remove the safe.
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