WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday preserved an important tool used by securities regulators to recoup ill-gotten gains in fraud cases. By an 8-1 vote, the justices ruled that the Securities and Exchange Commission can seek to recover the money through a process called disgorgement. Last year, the SEC...
Disbarred Bakersfield Divorce Lawyer Indicted for Fraud
A federal grand jury in Fresno has returned an eight-count indictment against Heather Christiansen Stanley, 47, of Bakersfield, charging her with fleecing clients out of millions of dollars. The Feb. 20 indictment was unsealed following Stanley’s arraignment on Wednesday. According to court documents, Stanley, a divorce attorney in Bakersfield, represented...
Walters: Fraud Infects Disability System
Kenneth and Mandy Henderson have given a new dimension to marital togetherness. Two years ago, a disability claim filed by Mandy Henderson, a lieutenant in the Santa Clara County sheriff’s office, came under suspicion. She claimed to be in constant pain from injuries suffered on the job and had to...
Arrests at LA Church Allege Marriage, Immigration Fraud
LOS ANGELES — Federal agents raided a Philippines-based church in Los Angeles Wednesday in a human trafficking investigation that led to arrests of three church leaders in what prosecutors said was a decades-long scheme to trick followers into becoming fundraisers and arrange sham marriages to keep them in the U.S....
Digital Wallets Like Apple Cash Can't Help if You're Scammed
NEW YORK — My desperation to see Ariana Grande in concert created the perfect trap. Instead of seeing her sing about love and loss, I got sucked into an online ticket scheme that cost me $75 and a big chunk of my pride. Con artists often get away with scams...
Former Merced Healthcare CEO Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison
A former Merced healthcare executive is headed to federal prison for five years for fraud. U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neil handed Sandra Haar, 59, the prison sentence and ordered her to pay $6.1 million in restitution Monday in a Fresno courtroom. Haar was ordered to self-surrender Jan. 15 to begin...
In 'SIM Swap,' Criminals Really Have Your Number
If you're not familiar with SIM swap fraud, prepare to be terrified. This scam, also known as port-out or SIM splitting fraud, allows criminals to hijack your cell phone number. Once they have your number, the bad guys can clean out your financial accounts, confiscate your email, delete your data...
Valley Truck Parts Company Rips Off Customers, Lawsuit Says
A Bakersfield company that sells after-market parts for trucks, off-road vehicles and SUVs asks customers to pay up front on orders often worth several hundred dollars, then fails to deliver the product or provide a refund, according to a lawsuit filed by the Kern County district attorney. The civil suit...
Sriracha Ordered to Pay Pepper Grower $23.3 Million
LOS ANGELES — A jury has awarded $23.3 million to a California pepper maker in a fiery battle with the manufacturer of world-famous Sriracha hot sauce. The Los Angeles Times says jurors last week determined that Huy Fong Foods breached its contract with Underwood Ranches and also committed fraud. Underwood,...
How Long Before This California Fraudster Is on 'American Greed'?
CHICAGO — Federal jurors in Chicago have convicted a Silicon Valley businessman of defrauding investors in his computer companies of more than $5 million after earning some of their money via crowdfunding. Federal prosecutors said Tuesday that 50-year-old Jeffrey Batio of Santa Clara, California, was convicted Friday of 12 counts...