News

Air Force Police Officer Convicted of over $150,000 in Unemployment Insurance Fraud

FRESNO - Trevon Miller, 31, a former Air Force Police Officer at Edwards Air Force Base, pleaded guilty to mail fraud charges today for submitting fraudulent unemployment insurance claims during the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, between April 2020 and June 2020, Miller submitted fraudulent claims in several states using his former name Trevon Rodney. Miller told the state agencies that administer the unemployment insurance system that he was unemployed when he was an active-duty Air Force Police Officer the whole time. The claims were worth over $150,000, and the money was put into debit cards mailed to Miller.

Operation Fraud Street Mafia: Nine Arrested for Drug Trafficking and $550 Million in Attempted Tax Fraud

FRESNO - As a result of Operation Fraud Street Mafia, a Kern Valley State Prison (KVSP) inmate has been charged in two separate federal complaints with drug trafficking and COVID-19 fraud. Seven defendants in California and Maryland are also charged in the two schemes.

U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert, DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian M. Clark, Acting Special Agent in Charge Mark Remily of the FBI Sacramento Field Office, and IRS Criminal Investigation Oakland Field Office Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Mosley are making the announcement today.

Detectives Arrest Home Invasion Robbery Suspects, Recover Stolen Property

FRESNO COUNTY - Property crimes detectives with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office have arrested 21-year-old Demetrius Williams and 19-year-old Joseph Lepe, both of Fresno. The suspects have been booked into the Fresno County Jail on charges of robbery. Their bails are set at $280,000 each.

On January 24th, 2024, deputies responded to a home invasion robbery on the 8000 block of S. Bryan Ave. near Raisin City. Two men held the victim at gunpoint and robbed him of his vehicle, cash and cell phones. Both fled the house. The victim was not physically injured.

Fresno City College Police Nabs Copper Wire Thief on West Campus

FRESNO - The Fresno City College West Fresno Campus suffered a significant amount of copper wire theft in recent weeks, causing thousands of dollars in damage and impacting parking lot lighting as well as lighting alongside walking trails and bike paths.

The State Center Community College District (SCCCD) Police Department developed a plan to catch and arrest the perpetrator(s), which resulted in an arrest on Friday, Feb. 9.

The Grand Opening of The Arthur @ Blackstone, an Affordable Housing Development

FRESNO - A new chapter begins in Fresno's history with the grand opening of The Arthur @ Blackstone, a transformative, affordable housing development. This innovative project, located on the site once home to the beloved "Arthur's Toys" store and AJ's Tuxedo Shop, marks a significant milestone in addressing the housing needs of the community, especially young people transitioning from foster care.

The Arthur @ Blackstone will offer a welcoming community with 1, 2, and 3- 3-bedroom units for a total of 41 units in the City of Fresno. The property will provide an affordable and permanent housing community for residents, with half of the units reserved for transitional-aged youth.

Professional Rock Climber Convicted of Sexual Assaults in Yosemite National Park

SACRAMENTO - A federal jury found Charles Barrett, 39, guilty today of two counts of aggravated sexual abuse and one count of abusive sexual contact that occurred during a weekend in Yosemite National Park, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, the victim went to Yosemite for a weekend of hiking, and Barrett, who was working and living in the park, sexually assaulted her three times. During the trial, three other women testified that Barrett also sexually assaulted them. These assaults were not charged because they were outside federal jurisdiction but were admitted at trial as relevant to the charged assaults.

One Sentenced, One Pleads Guilty in 2 Separate Cases Involving Debit and Credit Card Skimming Schemes

FRESNO - Artak Vardanyan, 40, of Burbank, was sentenced today to 11 months in prison for conspiring to commit credit and debit card fraud, and Christos Mavrokelos, 37, a Romanian national operating in Fresno and elsewhere, pleaded guilty today to using counterfeit debit cards and skimming devices, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

Vardanyan used credit and debit card Skewers at gas stations to steal nearly $200,000 in Fresno and Southern California.

According to court records, in November 2015, Vardanyan and his co-defendant, Akop Dongelyan, went on a crime spree in Fresno and Southern California, where they stole multiple victims’ credit and debit card information through skimmers placed at gas stations.