News

MADERA  –  Earlier today, California State Treasurer Fiona Ma visited Valley Children’s Hospital and presented the organization with a resolution recognizing the outstanding care it provides to children in California.

During her visit, Treasurer Ma toured the hospital to see firsthand the significant impact the Children’s Hospital Bond Act funding has had on Valley Children’s programs and services.

SACRAMENTO  -   On Dec. 5, a federal grand jury brought a 14-count indictment against a physician, Edmund Kemprud, of Dublin, charging him with prescribing opioids to patients outside the usual course of professional practice and not for legitimate medical purpose, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, Kemprud was a physician licensed to practice medicine in California and maintained a medical practice in Dublin and Tracy. On 14 occasions between Sept. 6, 2018, and March 13, 2019, Kemprud allegedly prescribed highly addictive, commonly abused prescription drugs, including Hydrocodone, Alprazolam, and Oxycodone – outside the usual course of professional practice and not for legitimate medical purpose.

FRESNO -  Aric Matthew Salazar, 36, formerly of Clovis, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, for receipt and distribution of child pornography, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to a criminal complaint, Salazar was detected by law enforcement investigators when he was sharing numerous child pornography files on a BitTorrent file-sharing network in October 2016. He admitted to investigating agents that he had used file-sharing programs for several years to obtain child pornography.

FRESNO  -   A federal grand jury returned an indictment today against Ryan James Taylor, 34, of Oxnard, charging him with burglary of a U.S. Post Office, mail theft, and theft of government property, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, on Aug. 26, 2018, Taylor forcibly broke into the Mojave Post Office in Kern County and stole mail that had been deposited at the post office as well as a U.S. Mail Truck.

MADERA – For better or worse, come Tuesday afternoon there will be a major shift in the leadership at the Madera County Government Center. Where you stand on this change depends on how you have interacted with Madera County Chief Administrative Officer over the last nine and a half years. The fifty-year-old Eric Fleming will be issuing his resignation in closed session during Tuesday’s Madera County Board of Supervisors meeting.

In a letter to the Board of Supervisors, Fleming says that “all things come to an end” and he believes that 2020 will be the year for him to wrap up loose ends and step down as CAO. Fleming hasn’t made this decision lightly and says he has been contemplating this for the last year.”I am not sure I have the energy or ability to effectively lead this organization any further.”

FRESNO -  A federal grand jury returned an eight-count indictment today against Bakersfield residents Wilfredo Medina-Perez, 31; Uriel Ivan Portillo, 33; and Rojelio “Roy” Garcia, 47, charging them with various drug trafficking crimes involving the distribution of fentanyl, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, between Feb. 11 and Nov. 21, Medina-Perez sold more than 8,000 fentanyl pills and 1 pound of methamphetamine to an undercover officer. Portillo, who was working with Medina-Perez, delivered 5,000 fentanyl pills to the undercover officer. Garcia obtained fentanyl from Medina-Perez with the intention of distributing the drug to his customers in the Bakersfield area.