U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill sentenced MS-13 gang member Claudia Lizaola to 10 years in prison Monday for drug trafficking. O'Neill handed down the sentence at the federal courthouse in Fresno. According to court documents, Lizaola was a member of La Mara Salvatrucha, a violent criminal street gang that engages...
Ex Fresno Sunday School Teacher Gets 10 Years for Child Porn
You'd think that at some point the men (and sometimes women) involved in child pornography would realize the FBI will catch them. The latest Valley resident to believe he could get away with exploiting children is headed to federal prison for 10 years. Listen to this article: Forrest Awbrey, 29,...
Fresnan Uses ‘Clash of Clans’ to Lure Victim, Gets 14 Years in Prison
Emilio Morales, 29, of Fresno, was sentenced Friday to 14 years in federal prison for using the internet to coerce a minor into producing child pornography, the Department of Justice said. By Morales' own admission, he met the 11-year-old victim while playing the popular online game “Clash of Clans.” In...
Show Up Drunk: Indictments Spotlight Prison Rehab Scams
It's a tip that has been passed onto convicts for years: On your way to federal prison, say you have a substance abuse problem, and you could qualify for a treatment program that knocks up to a year off your sentence. Federal prosecutors have long suspected abuses in the program,...
In First House Speech, Cox Calls for End to Federal Shutdown
Payday will come Friday without any checks for about 800,000 federal employees affected by the government shutdown, forcing workers to scale back spending, cancel trips, apply for unemployment benefits and take out loans to stay afloat. On Thursday, Rep. TJ Cox (D-Fresno) used the impact of the shutdown as the...