A Valley man was was sentenced Thursday in a federal courtroom in Fresno to 26 years in prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and possessing a gun in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. The case was heard by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd. 118...
Fresno Antiviolence Operation Nets 2 Federal Indictments for Gun Offenses
A joint local and federal law enforcement antiviolence effort in Fresno resulted in grand jury indictments Thursday against two local men on gun-related charges, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced in a press release. Lane Kelly Whittenberg, 32, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and...
West Side Bakers Gang Member Admits Having Machine Gun
Sacramento-based U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott has instructed his team to focus on firearms prosecutions in an attempt to reduce violent crime in the Central Valley. And, the strategy is yielding the indictments and convictions of dangerous armed individuals. Liodam Gonzalez, 28, of Bakersfield, pleaded guilty Tuesday to unlawful possession of a...
3 Mongolian Boys Society Members Indicted on Murder Conspiracy Charges
A federal grand jury in Fresno returned an indictment Thursday against three members of the Mongolian Boys Society, charging them with conspiring to commit murder for a gang shooting that killed four Hmong men, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott said. “Federal and local law enforcement are committed to stopping violent criminal...
South Valley Man Arrested for Marketing Herbal Mixtures as COVID Treatment
A Porterville man has been arrested on charges that he fraudulently marketed and sold herbal mixtures as FDA approved treatments for COVID-19. Huu Tieu, 58, is charged with mail fraud and introducing a misbranded drug into interstate commerce with the intent to defraud. A grand jury indicted Tieu on July 9...
Man Named 'Loco' Imprisoned on Gun, Meth, Sex Trafficking Charges
A Fresno man was sentenced in federal court to nearly 22 years in prison on drug, weapons, and sex-trafficking charges, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced. Carlos Montano, 29, known as "Loco," was a Fresno Bulldogs gang member who distributed large amounts of crystal methamphetamine in the Fresno area, often using...
Identity Theft Sends Clovis Man to Federal Prison
U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd has sent a loud message to a 47-year-old Clovis man that identity theft doesn't pay. Drozd sentenced Johnny Kajitani Jr. to two years and 10 months for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced in a news release Tuesday. The judge also ordered...
Feds Accuse Fresno Arms Dealer of Illegal Military Weapons Sales
Ara Dolarian, who was arrested May 15 by federal agents, has been charged with illegally brokering the sale of military-grade arms and munitions, money laundering, and conspiracy, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced Monday. Dolarian, 58, is scheduled for a detention hearing today at the federal courthouse in Fresno. He is a former...
Got Old or Unneeded Prescriptions Drugs? Turn Them in Saturday.
Guess how many tons of opioids and other medicines have been turned into the DEA's San Francisco division on National Prescription Drug Take Back Day? DEA-San Francisco says it has collected nearly 233 tons — or 446,000 pounds — of expired, unused and unwanted prescription medications from Northern California and Central Valley...
Feds Accuse Fresno Group Home CEO of Insurance Fraud
The founder and CEO of a Fresno group home has been indicted for allegedly defrauding insurance companies. A federal grand jury returned an eight-count indictment earlier this month against Orlando Gillam, 45, of Fresno. He faces mail fraud charges, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced Wednesday in a news release....