SAN FRANCISCO – Harlan Kelly Jr. was sentenced today to four years in prison and ordered to pay a $10,000 fine after being tried and convicted of participating in a long-running honest services fraud bribery conspiracy and a separate bank fraud scheme and conspiracy, announced First Assistant United States Attorney Patrick J. Robbins, FBI Special […]
DOJ Eastern District of California
Posted inCalifornia
Former Sutter County Church Administrator Convicted for Fraud and Identity Theft
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal judge found Chanell Easton, 38, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, guilty Monday of two counts of aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. On May 19, 2022, a grand jury returned an indictment, charging Easton with 22 counts of wire fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft. Easton […]
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Professional Rock Climber Convicted of Sexual Assaults in Yosemite National Park
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal jury found Charles Barrett, 39, guilty of two counts of aggravated sexual abuse and one count of abusive sexual contact that occurred during a weekend in Yosemite National Park, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, the victim went to Yosemite for […]
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Former Professor Pleads Guilty to Setting Multiple Fires Behind Firefighters Responding to the Dixie Fire
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gary Stephen Maynard, 49, of San Jose, pleaded guilty today to three counts of arson on federal property, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, Maynard engaged in an arson spree in the Shasta Trinity National Forest and in the vicinity of the then-ongoing Dixie Fire in the Lassen […]
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Nevada City Man Indicted for Child Exploitation Crimes
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment today against Walter Smith, 68, of Nevada City, charging him with attempted coercion and enticement and receipt of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, between April 1, 2023, and April 13, 2023, using the Kik cellphone app, Smith […]
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Leader of Nevada City-Based Mortgage Fraud Scheme Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — James Christopher Castle, 57, formerly of Petaluma, was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for a bank fraud scheme that sought to fraudulently eliminate home mortgages and then profit on the subsequent home sales, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. On Aug. 2, 2021, a jury found Castle guilty of 35 […]
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Arsonist Indicted for Setting Fires Behind Firefighters Fighting Dixie Fire
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a five-count indictment today against Gary Stephen Maynard, 47, of San Jose, charging him with arson to federal property and setting timber afire, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, Maynard engaged in an arson spree in the vicinity of the then ongoing […]
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DC Solar Owner Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Billion Dollar Ponzi Scheme
SACRAMENTO, Calif. November 10, 2021 – An owner of DC Solar, a Benicia-based company, was sentenced yesterday for a billion-dollar Ponzi scheme— the biggest criminal fraud scheme in the history of the Eastern District of California, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez sentenced Jeff Carpoff, 50, of Martinez, […]
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Jury Convicts Leader of Nevada City-Based Mortgage Fraud Scheme
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — On Monday, a federal jury found James Christopher Castle, 57, formerly of Petaluma, guilty of 35 counts in a bank fraud scheme that sought to fraudulently eliminate home mortgages and then profit on the subsequent home sales, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. This was the first jury trial in the […]
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Woman Pleads Guilty to Arson in the Tahoe National Forest in Yuba County
SACRAMENTO, Calif. January 12, 2021 – Sharon Ann Perkins, 39, pleaded guilty today to setting fire to lands owned by the United States, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. According to court documents, on Sept. 15, 2020, Perkins intentionally set two wildland fires in the Tahoe National Forest near Camptonville in Yuba County. At the […]
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Rocklin Business Owners Charged with Laundering over $1 Million in Drug Money
SACRAMENTO, Calif. October 15, 2020 – A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment today against Daniel Stewart, 56, of Lincoln, and Luke Burroughs, 56, of Rocklin, charging them with money laundering and money laundering conspiracy, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. According to court documents, Stewart and Burroughs own and operate Western Baler and Conveyor, […]
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Redding Man Charged with Serial Arson in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest
SACRAMENTO, Calif. October 14, 2020 — Eric Michael Smith, 38, of Redding, has been charged with setting fire to lands owned by the United States, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. According to court documents, between June 23, and July 29, 2020, Smith allegedly set four wildland fires on the Shasta-Trinity National Forest within Shasta […]
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Grass Valley and Placer County men indicted for Fentanyl trafficking conspiracy in Placer County and other narcotics offenses
SACRAMENTO, Calif. July 23, 2020 – A federal grand jury returned a five-count indictment today against Steven Lawrence Robinson, 34, of Granite Bay, and Nathaniel Opondo Hubbert, 39, of Grass Valley, charging them with a conspiracy to possess and distribute fentanyl and other narcotics offenses, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. According to court documents, between June […]
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Federal Government Warns of Potential Fraud Scams Surrounding COVID-19 Economic Impact Payments
SACRAMENTO, Calif. April 2, 2020 — The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) is warning California taxpayers to be alert about possible scams relating to COVID-19 economic impact payments. U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott and Kareem Carter, Special Agent in Charge IRS […]
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Aryan Brotherhood Charged with Racketeering for Directing Murders, Crimes in CA Prisons
SACRAMENTO, Calif. June 6, 2019 — 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 […]
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Grass Valley man sentenced for child pornography and online child enticement crimes
SACRAMENTO, Calif. May 17, 2019 – Samuel C. Thompson, 34, of Grass Valley, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr. to 10 years and four months in prison for receipt of child pornography and attempting to use the internet to entice a child to engage in sexual activity, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. […]
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South Lake Tahoe Man Sentenced to Prison for Destruction of Archaeological Sites
SACRAMENTO, Calif. February 26, 2019 – Timothy Brian Harrison, 50, of South Lake Tahoe, was sentenced today by United States District Judge John A. Mendez to one year and one day in prison and ordered to pay $113,000 in restitution for two counts of excavation and removal of archaeological resources from public lands and one […]
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Sierra Pacific Mortgage Agrees to Pay $3.67 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations re: FHA Loan Program
SACRAMENTO, Calif. Feb. 13, 2019 — U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced today that Sierra Pacific Mortgage Company Inc. (SPM), a national mortgage lender headquartered in Folsom, has agreed to pay the United States $3,670,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by falsely certifying compliance with Federal Housing Administration (FHA) mortgage […]
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Member of Nevada City-based conspiracy sentenced to over 7 years in prison for multi-million dollar bank and title fraud scheme
SACRAMENTO, Calif. September 24, 2018 – Larry Allen Todt, 66, formerly of Malibu, was sentenced to over seven years in prison and ordered to pay over $3,000,000 in restitution for his role in a fraudulent mortgage elimination scheme, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. On December 6, 2017, Todt was convicted following trial on one […]
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Nevada County man found in possession of 1,283 pounds of marijuana is charged in interstate marijuana trafficking conspiracy
SACRAMENTO, Calif. March 22, 2018 – A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment today against Jose Gregorio Luna, 33, of Nevada City, charging him with conspiracy to distribute marijuana, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, and manufacturing marijuana, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. According to court documents, Luna operated an interstate marijuana trafficking […]