News

Aryan Brotherhood Members and Associates Charged with Racketeering for Directing Murders and Other Violent Crimes from Inside California Prisons

SACRAMENTO - Sixteen members and associates of a prison-based gang have been charged after a long-running investigation into drug trafficking and murders inside and outside of California’s prisons. Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott, and Special Agent in Charge Chris Nielsen of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) made the announcement.

According to a criminal complaint unsealed today, nine defendants have been arrested on federal racketeering and other charges for extensive, organized criminal activity from within California’s most secure prisons. The allegations include murders, drug trafficking and other violent crimes. The complaint charges California State Prison inmates Ronald Yandell, 56; Daniel “Danny” Troxell, 66; William Sylvester, 51; Travis Burhop, 46; Brant Daniel, 44; Donald Mazza, 48, Pat Brady, 48; Michael Torres, 55; and Jason Corbett, 47. At the outset of this investigation, Yandell, Troxell, Sylvester, Burhop, Torres and Corbett were all serving life sentences for murder.

Yet Another Threat of Future School Shooting at Madera High - Student Arrested

MADERA – A Madera High School student has been arrested for making a threat Monday to shoot up the school on Thursday, a day before graduation. Police arrested the student after he wrote a message on the wall of a bathroom stall implying violence against Madera High School.

School officials found the threat was found Monday and police with the help of the school’s staff and administrators, officers identified the student and made an arrest. The student has claimed the written statement was a practical joke and he meant no harm. Facebook reports say the threat was written in blood or red ink.

Chowchilla Drive by Shooting Puts One in the Hospital

CHOWCHILLA - Last Wednesday afternoon officers of the Chowchilla Police Department responded to the 200 block of Alameda Ave. for reports of gun fire and a subject shot inside of a vehicle. Upon arriving on scene, officers located a vehicle which had wrecked into a residential fence.

The solo occupant driver inside of the vehicle, was found to have suffered from several gun shot wounds. Officers began rendering life saving procedures while awaiting for the arrival of paramedics. Once the paramedics arrived on scene, the driver was immediately transported to a hospital for the life threatening injuries.

Swatting Call Lands Fresno Man in Jail

FRESNO COUNTY - Fresno County Sheriff’s deputies have booked 27 year old Jesus Lopez-Zucilla of Fresno into the Fresno County Jail. He faces a misdemeanor charge of making a false emergency report. He is also being held on two unrelated misdemeanor warrants. Zucilla has a total bail amount of $26,200.

Around 11:30 pm on May 18, 2019, dispatchers at the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 phone call from a man saying a physical fight had broken out between approximately 20 people at the party he was hosting. The man, later identified as Jesus Zucilla, claimed it was happening in the backyard of his home located on the 5000 block of E. Grant Ave. in Fresno. Zucilla went on to say that one of the people was armed with a large butcher knife and there were children in danger of getting hurt.

Fresno DUI Checkpoint Nets 8 Arrests

FRESNO - The Fresno Police Department net 5 DUI arrests while conducting a DUI/Driver’s License checkpoint on May 25, 2019. The checkpoint was at W. Shaw ave at W. Shaw Lane between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m. In addition,19 drivers were cited/arrested for operating a vehicle unlicensed or with a suspended/revoked license, 1 Suspect was arrested for illegal drugs, 2 were Arrested on other Criminal Charges, 44 Citations issued, 27 vehicles towed.

DUI Checkpoints are placed in locations based on collision statistics and frequency of DUI arrests. In 2017, the Fresno Police Department investigated 360 DUI collisions that killed 15 people and injured 121 others. Drivers caught driving impaired and charged with DUI can expect the impact of a DUI arrest to be approximately $13,500. This includes fines, fees, DUI classes, license suspension and other expenses not to mention possible jail time.

Madera County Woman Pleads Guilty to Aiding and Abetting Production of Child Pornography

FRESNO - A Madera County woman pleaded guilty today to sexual exploitation of children, announced Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott. Ashley Maddox, 32, pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting the production of child pornography before U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd.

According to court documents, in June 2017, Maddox came to the attention of law enforcement during a child pornography investigation of a man in Florida. An examination of the Florida man’s electronic devices revealed that between November 2015 and April 2016, he and Maddox had communicated, via the internet and on their cellphones, about their mutual sexual interest in minors.

Tulare County Man Indicted On Methamphetamine Trafficking Charges

FRESNO - A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment today against Alejandro Cabrera-Gallegos, 37, of Porterville, charging him with distribution of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, on May 2, 2019, Cabrera distributed one pound of methamphetamine to an individual in Tulare County. On May 14, 2019, Cabrera was arrested in Tulare County attempting to distribute five pounds of methamphetamine. An additional one pound of methamphetamine was seized during a search warrant executed at Cabrera’s residence in Porterville on May 14, 2019.