News

FRESNO - The Fresno Police Department will be conducting a DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoint on Saturday, July 27th, 2019 at an undisclosed location within the city limits between the hours of 9:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m.

DUI Checkpoints like this one are placed in locations based on collision statistics and frequency of DUI arrests. Officers will be looking for signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment, with officers checking drivers for proper licensing.

SACRAMENTO - U.S. District Judge Garland E. Burrell, Jr., sentenced Bar Shani, 27, of San Francisco, to 20 months in prison for conspiring to launder money, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. According to court documents, between October 2016 and November 2017, Shani conspired to launder the proceeds of an illegal gambling business with Atir Dadon, 34, of Sherman Oaks, and Orel Gohar, 28, of San Francisco.

Orel Gohar and Yaniv Gohar, 35, of Berkeley, operated an illegal gambling business that placed and maintained video slot machines at businesses in Northern California, including locations in the Eastern District of California. Shani, Dadon, and Orel Gohar agreed that Orel Gohar would give cash proceeds from the Gohars’ gambling business to Shani and Dadon, who would use the cash to pay the workers in their cosmetics business.

MADERA - Caltrans and the Madera County Transportation Commission (MCTC) held a groundbreaking ceremony Friday to mark the beginning of construction on the Senate Bill 1 funded State Route 99 Madera Widening Project in Madera County.

This $86.1 million project will revitalize 23.4 lane miles, construct 11.7 new lane miles, upgrade the Almond Avenue on-ramp, construct 3,500 feet of drainage systems and five maintenance vehicle pullouts, install one changeable message sign and include the construction of 25,000 feet of concrete barrier. About $66 million of this project’s funding is provided by Senate Bill 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017.

FRESNO  -  Chief U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill sentenced Nikko Adolfo Perez, 27, of Atwater, to 40 years in prison, to be followed by a lifetime term of supervised release for his convictions for the sexual exploitation of children, coercion and enticement of a minor, and receipt and distribution of child pornography, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

“While Perez's sentence is substantial, it pales in comparison to the lifetime of damage he inflicted upon his many victims. Innocence cannot be restored,” said Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan of the FBI Sacramento Field Office. “We hope this case inspires families to have conversations about the danger of communicating online over text, apps, and other media with a stranger and the importance of immediately seeking help if communication becomes exploitive or threatening. The internet fosters both false familiarity and anonymity, which can empower a predator. We urge the community to be mindful of the inherent danger of communicating with or transmitting photos to someone you do not truly know.”

FRESNO -  Members of the Fresno County Sheriff’s Homicide Unit and Fresno County District Attorney’s Office are conducting an investigation into the death of an inmate at the Fresno County Jail. He has been identified as 31 year old Michael Blake of Clovis. He was in custody for a total of approximately 20 hours.

Around 5:45 pm on Tuesday, July 16th, Fresno County Sheriff’s correctional officers were distributing meals to inmates in a pod of the Main Jail when they noticed Inmate Michael Blake lying on his bed, unresponsive. Officers began to give CPR to the man. Medical staff responded and also provided aid while an ambulance was dispatched to respond to the jail. EMS personnel arrived and Blake was pronounced deceased a short time later.

Americo Bernard Barsotti (93) passed away peacefully on Friday, July 12, 2019, with his family by his side. Ben was a native of the Central Valley, born on February 21, 1926. He attended Dos Palos High School graduating in 1944, where he was named the outstanding athlete for four years, at that time. He matriculated to Fresno State College and graduated with a degree in Geology in 1948. He was a two-sport athlete while at Fresno State.

Following his education, Ben spent 40 years in education primarily in the Madera Unified School District. The last 20 years were spent as principal of Thomas Jefferson Junior High. After his retirement, he ran for and won a seat on the Madera School Board where he served as a trustee.