SACRAMENTO – 37-year-old Michael George Mello and his sister, 38-year-old Mary Catherine Rodriguez (also known as Mary Mello) are the owners of the Green Valley Landscaping Services company. They have been under fire since October of 2013 for their unfair business practices, and have reportedly cheated their employees, workers’ compensation insurance companies, and the California Employment Development Department. The California Department of Insurance, Enforcement Branch, Fraud Division announced in a press release that the pair have now pleaded no contest to charges of workers’ comp fraud and tax evasion. The action by the Sacramento District Attorney’s office accused them of conspiring to commit fraud by “significantly under-reporting the number of employees and payroll in their business”. In doing so they underpaid their workers’ comp insurance carriers out of $144,672.00 in premiums, and the Employment Development Department out of $110,462.00 in payroll tax. In 2013, 43 of their employees won a judgement against the business for a total of $664,764.00 after the California Labor Commissioner launched an investigation in May of 2012, and found that despite reporting fewer than ten employees on their records, they had actually up to 43 people working for them. The business was improperly classifying many of its workers as independent contractors, affecting the pay they would get and cheating them of hours and overtime pay, in addition to underpaying the taxes and insurance premiums. “Mis-classification of employees as independent contractors harms legitimate businesses and cheats the hardworking men and women of California who are entitled to a just day’s pay for a hard day’s work,” said Labor Commissioner Julie A. Su. “This is a tactic by unscrupulous employers to deny workers’ pay for every regular hour worked and overtime. Mis-classification is also used to cut costs and to underbid projects, making it extremely difficult for legitimate contractors to compete” Mello and the business were required to pay out $168,088 in earned overtime, and $338,176.00 in minimum wage violations. They also had to pay $157,500.00 for failing to provide itemized wage statements as required under state law. The most recent action, for which Mello and Rodriguez pleaded no contest, resulted in a judgment for a restitution payment of the $144,672.00 to the affected insurance companies and $110,462.00 to the Employment Development Department. In addition to that, Mello was sentenced to 30 days in county jail, and five years formal probation. Rodriguez was sentenced to three years probation and 50 hours of community service. “The underground economy is not a victimless crime,” said Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones. “Not only were numerous people in this case put at risk, but every consumer and legitimate business pays the price for workers’ compensation insurance fraud as insurers pass their losses on to policyholders and businesses then pass their increased costs to consumers.”
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Brother and Sister pair up on Workers’ Comp and Employment fraud
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Victims Turn the Tables on Auto Burglar
Ventura – 23-year-old Ricardo Navarro, a resident of Oxnard, just might be the most hapless and hopeless auto burglar among his peers, and is anticipated to be a finalist in this year’s race for the Criminals Darwin Award. Clear evidence of that came in the late afternoon of Monday, September 7th, when, while working with a trio of confederates, he was observed plundering a parked car on a busy commercial area street. Several witnesses to his nefarious activity, conducted with the help of another male and two females, called 911 Emergency to alert law enforcement to the immediate need for…some law enforcement. Before anyone with a gun and a badge arrived on the scene, however, a relative of the vehicle owner—who had left two young children in a vehicle at curbside—alerted other family members to the burglary in progress. At that point, the vehicle owner’s family members made their presence known, which sent Navarro and his crew fleeing from the scene with considerable haste. But Navarro and the other three burglars had apparently not counted on the outrage of their victims, as, according to the report of the Ventura Police Department Watch Commander, “several family members began chasing them.” Navarro’s three associates hopped into a waiting vehicle and left him behind to face “a 19-year-old female and her 44-year-old father” both related to the car’s owner. But Navarro was apparently prepared to defend himself, and he blasted his pursuers with pepper spray. With them now temporarily disabled, Navarro dropped the pepper spray and renewed his flight. But the 19-year-old was completely undeterred by the pepper spray assault, picked up Navarro’s can, and ran him to the ground, where she summarily returned the favor and immobilized him by emptying the pepper spray canister into his eyes. Thus immobilized, she held Navarro until her other family members arrived to detain him until police arrived on the scene. Upon their arrival, deputies took Navarro into custody, arrested him, and had him transported to Ventura County Jail where he was booked for robbery, possession of a controlled substance, being a felon in possession of pepper spray, and parole violation. Navarro was reacquainted with some very familiar surroundings at the Ventura County Jail. His latest booking marks his twentieth time since December 2011, when he was 19-years-old and arrested for possession of a controlled substance for sale, along with drug paraphernalia. That was followed by an arrest for street terrorism, a charge normally associated with gang activity, along with vandalism of $5,000 or more in damage. His next arrest in August 2012 was for grand theft, along with public intoxication, followed by an arrest for possessing burglar’s tools in November. Since then he has been arrested on a fairly regular basis – never going more than four months between bookings – on various charges of drug and paraphernalia possession and being under the influence, burglary and possession of burglary tools, vandalism, street terrorism and gang participation. During this entire history, when not in jail, he has resided at the Oxnard Mobile Home Lodge, off Commercial Avenue in central Oxnard. Photos: Courtesy Ventura County Jail Booking, Google Maps
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Redding man arrested busting up his mobile home
What set Brian James Willis off twice in a week’s time, getting him thrown into jail once, and then back again? Perhaps it was living in a small, single wide mobile home for so long. Willis has lived in the Starlight Mobile Estates for at least nine years – it was his residence of record on May 21 of 2008 when he was arrested for disturbing the peace by getting into a fight. He was 27 at the time. The mobile home park is off East Cypress Avenue in central Redding, across from Lowe’s Home Improvement. A week ago, on Monday, September 7, Redding police were called out to the mobile home park for a disturbance that morning, and found Willis at the location. When they tried to calm him down and take him into custody, he fought with the officers, striking one of them. He was arrested and booked at the Shasta County Jail in charges for making criminal threats with the intent to terrorize, resisting arrest, and battery on an officer. While awaiting his next court appearance, Willis blew up again. According to the Redding police, it was late Saturday and into early Sunday morning, September 13. He was reportedly threatening his father, and when police arrived at the mobile home at 3:40 am, they found him tearing the place up. As he destroyed the inside of the home, he refused to surrender, waving shards of broken glass around, threatening police and cutting himself up as well. Fearing he could inflict lethal damage to himself or the officers, they tried to convince him to give up for over two hours. As dawn was breaking, police decided they needed to enter the home and take control of Willis, but despite his bleeding, he still fought them off. As nothing short of gunfire seemed to be working, the officers unleashed their final option, a police dog, whose powers of persuasion got the angry man to finally give up. Willis was taken into custody and brought to a local hospital for treatment, before being booked at the Shasta County Jail on charges of making criminal threats, stalking, felony resisting arrest, and felony vandalism.
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Chowchilla teen arrested for domestic violence, false imprisonment
A young man has been arrested for multiple felonies in Chowchilla on Tuesday, September 8. According to the Madera County Department of Corrections, Nicholas Kyle Ray Brand, 18, was apprehended by the Chowchilla Police for domestic violence charges of inflicting corporal injury on a spouse or co-habitant, along with threatening with intent to terrorize, assault with a deadly weapon, false imprisonment, dissuading or preventing a witness or victim from testifying, and violating probation. Brand’s probationary status stems from an arrest made in December last year, just 10 days after his 18th birthday. Chowchilla Police found him at 7:30 in the evening at Veteran’s Memorial Park at Robertson and 6th Street. He was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and had made threats of violence. He resisted arrest, and struck one of the officers as he was taken into custody. He was booked at the Madera County Jail on charges of disorderly conduct/public intoxication, battery on an officer, criminal threats, and resisting or obstructing an officer. In his latest arrest, bail was set at $105,000 for the felony charges, but he is being held without bail due to the probation violations. The name of the victim of the domestic assault was not released per law enforcement protocols to protect the privacy of victims of domestic abuse. Brand is listed as currently unemployed, according to the booking report.
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Madera man arrested for enabling a minor
What’s wrong with sharing your drugs with a teenager? 29-year-old Fidelio Paz has hopefully figured it out. According to the official media report from the Madera County Department of Corrections, Paz, a field worker who lives in north central Madera near the George Washington Elementary School, was arrested late Friday, September 4 by Madera Police for possession of a controlled substance – likely methamphetamine – and paraphernalia such as a glass meth pipe. He was booked at 2:53 am Saturday morning, and was also charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor, who was not identified in the report. After posting a $9,000 bond for the three misdemeanor offenses, Paz was released pending his appearance in court. A longtime resident of Madera, Paz had been arrested in September of 2007 on charges of possession and transportation of a controlled substance for sale. If any evidence in found to indicate he was selling rather than just sharing his drugs with his teenage victim, his sentencing will be much more harsh.
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Motive Remains Unclear in Animal Shelter Vandalism, One Man Arrested
JURUPA VALLEY – In the early hours over the weekend, a suspect broke into the Jurupa Valley animal shelter, releasing dogs and resulting in the death of four of the canines. When employees arrived at the Riverside County Animal Shelter in Jurupa Valley on Sunday, September 13 at approximately 6:30 AM, they found themselves faced with a grizzly scene. Two dogs lay dead in a pool of blood on the floor, several dogs were ranging freely and 22 locks had been cut from holding kennels. Deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department arrived at the shelter and began an investigation. The deceased dogs were a Chihuahua and a Yorkshire Terrier, but the cause of their demise was unclear. According to reports, the Yorkie was a micro-chipped dog that had just been brought in the prior evening, its owner yet to be identified and contacted. “We found blood spattered everywhere. There were some blood markings that were about 3 feet off the ground. We don’t know exactly what caused that, but we don’t suspect that an animal jumped into the air and caused that blood spatter,” said Animal Services Department spokesman John Welsh Two of the other dogs that were let loose were hit by cars and killed: a German Shepherd found Sunday and a Pit Bull found Monday. Seven dogs remain missing. In a follow-up press conference Wednesday, Welsh stated that the motives for this incident remained unclear and he expressed doubts that the action was the result of animal rights activism. The released dogs were strays or being held for investigations. None of the shelter dogs up for adoption were released or harmed. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department has since identified 42-year-old Jason Ernest Johnson as a suspect in this incident. He has also gone by the name of Jason Neunzer. He was arrested Thursday morning, September 17, according to the Sheriff’s Department. Local organizations have offered a $20,000 reward for the conviction of those responsible. Anyone with further information about the break-in at the county shelter may call investigators at 951-955-2600 or go to RiversideSheriff.org and click on “Crime Tips.” Anyone who finds a lost pet may call Animal Services at 951-358-7387 to have it picked up.
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Two Riverside County Men Discover That ATM Crimes Don’t Pay
MOUNTAIN CENTER – Early Monday morning, sheriff’s deputies located and arrested two suspects believed to have been perpetrators in a rash of ATM thefts in two counties. Riverside Sheriff’s Deputies from the Hemet station, working routine patrol in the Mountain Center/Idyllwild area on Monday, September 14, responded to a call at 4:30 am at a business within the 53000 block of East Highway 74, in the unincorporated area of Mountain Center. Deputies arrived at the location and began an investigation of an ATM theft from the business. According to the victims of the crime, multiple suspects drove away in a dark-colored SUV with the ATM in their vehicle. Deputies proceeded to search the area and located the suspect vehicle shortly thereafter. According to Sergeant Robert Duckett, information possibly linking the suspects to a string of ATM thefts in San Bernardino County was uncovered during the investigation. Working with the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department, Hemet Station Investigators arrested Ryan Patrick Mason, 24 years old of Hemet, and Nickolas Gordon Melendez, 26 years old of Cabazon. Both were charged with suspicion of second degree burglary and booked at Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility. Bail was set at $5,000 for each, online jail records showed. Anyone with information about this incident or similar incidents that may be linked are asked to call Investigator Dorrough at the Hemet Sheriff’s Station at (951) 791-3400.
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Man Burglarizes Business Offices at the Warner Center
Business employees and owners in Los Angeles offices should think about locking their doors whenever they leave the room unsupervised. According to a police report, a man had entered at least four businesses between Monday, August 31 and Tuesday, September 8th, stealing purses and wallets that were left unattended in offices at the Warner Center, in the San Fernando Valley area. The man had been confronted a couple of times by the employees when he was in their offices. However, when they questioned him, he responded by asking questions about the business, and then claimed that he was in the wrong office. One business was able to capture the suspect stealing a purse or wallet through their surveillance video. Los Angeles Police are seeking the public’s help in identifying the suspect. From the video footage, he seems to be a short haired, possibly Armenian male with grey hair on the sides of his head. He has a tattoo with cursive handwriting on his right forearm and another tattoo on his upper right arm. The suspect has also been reported to be seen wearing dark polo-type shirts and blue or black jeans. Anyone with information regarding these investigations is asked to call the Topanga Area Theft Detectives at (818) 756-5871. To view surveillance video, see the LAPD news release.
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CHP Officer Nabs Los Angeles Murder Suspect
Suspect was Living in Castroville Under an Assumed Name SALINAS—An officer with the California Highway Patrol who works out of the Salinas location pulled over a vehicle for a broken headlight near intersection of Harden Parkway and North Main Street in Salinas at about 1:35 am last Thursday, September 10. The driver, who was arrested for driving under the influence, identified himself as Agustin Alejo from Castroville. He was transported to Monterey County Jail for booking on DUI charges, end of story, right? Well, hold on – not so fast… When Alejo was being booked into the Monterey County Jail, they discovered that he in fact had several aliases. One of the names he goes by stood out to the booking agents as Byron Contreras out of Los Angeles County. It was discovered that Contreras was wanted for a murder committed back in 1989 in Los Angeles. It seems that Alejo, AKA Contreras, was a member of a criminal street gang in Los Angeles known as the Magician’s Club, and committed a violent murder on the streets of Hollywood. The report was that Contreras, along with four other members of the gang, where driving around the streets of the Hollywood Area when they came upon two rival gang members at the corner of Oxford Avenue and Clinton Street. Contreras’ group started throwing gang signs, while firing shots from their vehicle at the two other gang members, who were riding bikes at the time. One of the victims was hit and fell to the ground. That is when Contreras exited the vehicle and walked up the rival gang member and fired additional rounds into the victim as he laid on the ground. Contreras also reportedly tried to kill the second rival gang member by firing at him as he ran away, but his shots missed. After that incident, Contreras left Los Angeles and was never seen again. But the other four suspects were taken into custody. Now, fast forward to 2015, and Alejo/Contreras, finally in custody, will be extradited back to Los Angeles to face murder charges some 26 years later. “This stop highlights the dangers of routine traffic stops, you never know what or who you are going to encounter during that routine traffic stop.” California Highway Patrol Public information Officer Oscar Loza said.
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Brother shot and killed just three years after sister was shot by her ex-husband
The San Jose Police Homicide Detectives have released a sketch of the possible homicide suspect responsible in the shooting death of 33-year-old Rafael Espinoza. According to SJPD Press Information Officer Sgt. Enrique Garcia, “On Sunday, August 23, 2015, at 11:57 p.m., San Jose Police Department officers responded to the 2000 block of Lavonne Avenue on reports of firearms discharged.” Police later found the victim shot. It was reported that two young men in their early to mid 20’s were seen running from the scene after witnesses heard what sounded like gunshots just before midnight near the MACSA Youth Center. Witnesses at the scene described a Hispanic or white male in his mid-late 20’s as the shooter. The suspect was last seen wearing a red shirt and khaki colored pants. This is the second homicide experienced by the Espinoza family. The first was with the shooting death of Maribel and Pedro Jimenez. They were shot by Maribel’s ex-husband Pedro Medina, who has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Now with both a brother and sister dead in two shooting incidents, the family is devastated over the loss of their son and daughter, all within three years of each other. Mothers Against Murder have been seeking donations to help cover funeral costs for the Espinoza family through their website: MothersAgainstMurder/RafaelEspinoza. The SJPD is asking the public to help identify the suspect in the sketch in order to help bring justice for Rafael Espinoza and his family. Anyone with information is urged to contact Detective Sergeant Raul Martinez or Detective Jorge Santiago of the San Jose Police Department’s Homicide Unit at 408-277-5283. Read More: San Jose Mercury News: San Jose man convicted of brutal slaying of couple in front of kids
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Man Arrested in Attempted Murder Attack
Suspect used Taser on female victim The San Luis Obispo Police arrested a man for attempted murder on Friday morning. According to SLOPD, officers responded to a call at around 6:50 a.m. regarding a screaming female at an apartment complex on the 1000 block of Foothill Road. When officers arrived at the scene, they discovered a 20-year-old female victim covered in blood. The victim was inside her apartment. Police were informed the suspect was walking away from the apartment complex as officers arrived on the scene. They located the suspect 15 minutes later, hiding in the creek area behind Sierra Vista Hospital. The suspect was identified a Derrick Robert Moore, 25. Moore had several lacerations on his upper right-rear shoulder area. According to SLOPD investigations, the victim was attempting to leave her apartment when the suspect confronted her at her door. Moore violently attacked the victim by using a Taser stun gun on her. The suspect then forced the victim to the ground. Moore started punching the victim in the face, striking her several times in the face while she was on the ground on the floor of her own apartment. The victim struggled with Moore and used a small knife from her keychain to jab Moore on the right side of his upper body. He ceased his assault and fled as officers were arriving on the scene. According to the victim, Moore was unknown to her, but she had seen him in the apartment complex on two other recent occasions in the early morning hours. On one of those occasions she called SLOPD because she said he was acting strange. When officers arrived on that occasion, Moore had already left the scene. “There was only one prior complaint where officers responded to this location,” SLOPD Lt. John Bledsoe said. “It was the report of a suspicious male ‘walking up and down the stairs, across the balcony, and he doesn’t live in the apartments.’ When the officers arrived the subject had already left and they were unable to locate him. There was nothing to indicate a crime had been committed and no other information to follow up on. The subject was seen the next morning at about the same time, however, police were not notified. Two days later she was assaulted.” According to SLOPD, the victim sustained moderate facial injuries and lacerations to her hands as a result of this assault. The victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment and was later released. Moore sustained multiple stab wounds to his upper right side and shoulder area. Investigators say none of the wounds were life-threatening. He was admitted into the hospital and was listed in stable condition. Moore was then charged with attempted murder, felony stalking, first-degree burglary, assault with great-bodily injury and assault with a stun gun/Taser. He remains in guarded custody at a local hospital. His bail was set at $500,000. “This type of crime in the City of San Luis Obispo is extremely rare. People generally feel safe and do not expect this type of senseless violence to happen to them,” Bledsoe said. “This young lady was the unsuspecting victim of a violent predator. She obviously had the physical and mental capacity to fight for her life and protect herself at all costs. She is a true survivor and role model for anyone who falls victim to people who have little to no regard for another human’s life.”
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Victim Escapes Attacker
The San Luis Obispo Police are searching for a man who allegedly attacked a lone female victim early Wednesday morning. According to SLOPD, officers responded to a call at around 1:40 a.m. to the 1600 block of Fredericks Street regarding an assault that had just occurred. Officers discovered a female victim at her home, who reported she had been walking alone from the downtown area. While she was walking a male suspect jumped out from a covering of bushes. He grabbed her and pulled her to the ground. The victim reported the suspect pinned her arms to the ground, but she was able to break free of the his grasp. She then began striking the man in his face. When she then broke free from the suspect, she ran home where she contacted the police. The victim was not injured during this assault. A suspect description, other than the man being about six feet tall and wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt, has not been released to the press.
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Monterey Taskforce Arrests Known Gang Member
Arrest Came From a Month-Long Investigation GREENFIELD—Agents from the Southern Monterey County Violence Suppression Collaboration (S.M.C.V.S.C.) served a state search warrant in the city of Greenfield in culmination of a month-long investigation that led the agents to arrest the homeowner Isaac Orlando Chan, who is known by the agencies involved as a member of a criminal street gang, on numerous charges. The S.M.C.V.S.C. is comprised of officers from Monterey County agencies including the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, Monterey County District Attorney’s Office, California Highway Patrol, California State Parole Department, and the Gonzales , Soledad, Greenfield, and King City Police Departments. Greenfield and King City are towns in central Monterey County along the 101 Freeway, south of Salinas and Soledad. The search warrant was served on the 300 block of Eucalyptus Drive in Greenfield as part of a month-long investigation into the selling of narcotics. Officers found a marijuana garden located in the backyard during the service of the search warrant. Agents also found a dangerous “Honey Oil” laboratory in a converted shed at the same residence. These labs are dangerous due to the highly flammable butane that is used to extract the oil from the marijuana. Authorities also located in the house approximately half a pound of crystal methamphetamine, six pounds of processed marijuana, packaging, US currency, and a loaded Black Smith & Wesson JCP .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun. Chan is a known gang member who was selling the drugs to benefit a criminal street gang. He admitted to selling the drugs and profiting from their sale. He was arrested, transported and booked into the Monterey County Jail on charges of possession of a controlled substance and paraphernalia, burglary, and bringing a controlled substance into the jail. Isaac Chan’s history with law enforcement, according to available records, includes a January 2006 arrest for battery and vandalism with over $1,000 in damage. In 2011 he was arrested in January for possession of marijuana, and in April for vandalism, this time from throwing a rock through a window at a rental property. Then in July of 2012, having moved to his house on Eucalyptus, he was charged with trespassing on private property and refusing to leave, intercepting and divulging police radio communications, driving on a license suspended for reckless driving, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and violating his probation. Details of that incident were not available.
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Failure to Appear Results in Felony Bust
Ventura County – Saul Arceo, a 27-year-old resident of El Rio—just east of the City of Ventura—is, one would think, old enough and intelligent enough to know what day of the month it is, but apparently he simply doesn’t pay as much attention to those little details of life as he should. Evidence of that came on Wednesday, September 9th when he failed to keep his appointment for a pre-trial hearing in the Ventura County Courthouse. According to Ventura County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Det. Jarrod Foote, Arceo had been free from custody on a posted bail bond pursuant to charges of “exhibiting a deadly weapon, assault with a deadly weapon, and making criminal threats“ which he had been arrested for on August 13. (He was also charged with vandalism using paint.) As serious as those allegations are, Arceo apparently gave them no mind, and his failure to appear in court as promised earned him a $20,000 felony arrest warrant on the 9th. Just 48 hours later, late in the morning of September 11th, VCSD’s Gang Unit rolled up to Arceo’s Balboa Street residence in El Rio and found him at home. The arrest warrant was summarily served upon him, and he was taken into custody. Arceo, a “documented member of a criminal street gang” subject to search, was found to be in possession of methamphetamine in a quantity sufficient enough to be considered “for sale.” At the time of the search of his residence, Arceo was also found in possession of property reported as stolen, whereupon Camarillo Police Department detectives arrived on the scene. A review of the stolen property in Arceo’s possession—estimated to have a value of $10,000—indicated his connection to “over a dozen burglaries” committed in various cities throughout Ventura County. Arceo was transported to Ventura County Jail where he was booked on multiple burglary charges in addition to failure to appear on the aforementioned prior charges. According to available records, Arceo was arrested in February of this year for public intoxication and possession of burglary tools. In May of 2014 he was picked up for possession of a controlled substance.
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Bloody Broccoli Field Stabbing
Santa Barbara County – The pastoral settings of the rolling hills in northern Santa Barbara County, through which tourists and locals alike travel on wine tours and scenic excursions throughout the year, are rarely the scene of criminal activity. The morning of Thursday, September 10th however, that all changed. It was in the fertile agricultural fields just off the pavement of Betteravia Road and Foxen Canyon Road—in the northern portion of Santa Barbara County’s renowned wine country with tour buses passing by almost hourly—that two men working to harvest an expanse of broccoli apparently got into a conversation that led to violence. According to Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department Public Information Officer Kelly Hoover, it was at approximately 9:00 a.m. when two men “were cutting broccoli in a field” and engaged in a physical confrontation that left one of them suffering from multiple stab wounds. A 911 Emergency call alerted Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s deputies to the crime, and while law enforcement and an emergency medical response team were en route to the scene, witnesses to the stabbing detained Santa Maria resident Margarito Cervantes-Lopez, 26. Upon arrival at the broccoli field, deputies received witness statements indicating that while using his “field knife” to cut and trim broccoli, Cervantes-Lopez turned on a 34-year-old co-worker and used the same instrument to stab him “several times.” The stabbing victim was transported to a nearby hospital where he is expected to survive his injuries, while Cervantes-Lopez was taken into custody and transported to Santa Barbara County Jail where he was booked on a charge of attempted murder. Photo: Courtesy Santa Barbara County Jail Booking
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Producers charged with running a Ponzi scheme
Mel Brooks struck comedy gold when he made the film “The Producers” starring Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder in 1967. The idea behind the film was that Mostel’s character, Max Bialystock would produce a Broadway show so bad that it would lose tons of money. Prior to that, he would charm his investors – scores of little old ladies who had money and wanted to please him – into giving him far more money than was needed. With the help of his accountant, played by Gene Wilder, they could claim a loss in the show, be off the hook for paying any profits to the investors, and take the overage for themselves. But when the show, “Springtime For Hitler” becomes a surprise hit, their scheme collapses. Perhaps inspired by that story, but with plans to avoid the pitfalls, Michelle Kenen Seward and Dror Soref hatched a plan to make a movie called “Not Forgotten”. Soref, from Israel, is an award winning filmmaker who began his career working with “Weird Al” Yankovic making his musical parody videos. He went on to work with Paramount Studios to make “The Seventh Coin” starring Peter O’Toole, and co-founded Orbit Productions, making TV commercials and other films. According to a news release from the California Department of Insurance Fraud Division, Michelle Seward, a 42-year-old resident of Flintridge, in the hills above Pasadena in northern LA County, worked with Soref on producing the Not Forgotten film. Seward is a former licensed insurance agent and CEO of Protege Financial and Insurance Services, Inc., and Saxe-Coburg Insurance Solutions, LLC. She reportedly convinced many of her clients to invest their life savings in Not Forgotten, an unsecured investment. In some cases, Seward advised her clients to surrender annuities early, paying penalties with the promise of big returns on the film of ten to eighteen percent. It was later found that the investors lost a total of more than $600,000 in early withdrawal penalties when they pulled their money to invest with Seward and Soref. The film Not Forgotten was made and released in 2009, with Soref directing and co-writing, and starring Simon Baker, Paz Vega, and Chloe Moretz. It got good reviews from the Hollywood Reporter and Variety, and was nominated for a Saturn Award by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror in 2010. The film was a psychological thriller about a couple in a Texas-Mexico border town who “must come to terms with their tortured pasts in order to save their kidnapped daughter. It is a tale taut with intrigue and steeped in Latino mysticism, where the line between what’s real and what’s imagined becomes hopelessly blurred.” (IMDb). Michelle Seward is listed as one of the film’s executive producers, and IMDb listed the opening gross in limited release at $53,723 in the US. With the film done, and investors to pay, Seward and Soref formed a new company called Windsor Pictures LLC, and gathered more investors, mostly from Los Angeles and Kern Counties. Those who put in money were given promissory notes and again promised ten to eighteen percent returns once the company began to release movies. Investigators found that $21 million was collected from more than 100 investors for the production company, which was established on June 22, 2009, with a business address of 5555 Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles, which is on the Paramount Pictures lot. But beyond setting up the business name, none of the money was actually used to create a production company. Soref is credited with directing only one more film, a 12 minute short film called “Morning” in 2011. The Not Forgotten investors were eventually paid off, and the rest of the invested money was allegedly profit for Seward and Soref in what the investigators called a Ponzi Scheme. The two were arrested on September 11 and charged with unqualified sale of securities. Neither were licensed to sell securities or give investment advice. Bail was set at $2,700,00.00, and the case is set to be prosecuted by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office, and was filed under the “Life & Annuity Consumer Protection Program”. Michelle Seward, however, tells a different story. In her website, Michelle Seward Truth, she states “Michelle Seward, CEO and owner of Protege Financial & Ins Services and Saxe Coburg Insurance did something that is unheard of in Hollywood and in the financial world, she has committed to pay for her clients’ losses because she feels it it the right thing to do.” She states she has created an $8.75 million trust to distribute funds to her creditors. She has stated that as a Scientologist, she was targeted by Soref as someone of the same faith, and that led to her involvement with him and the film production, and the investments in Not Forgotten and Windsor Pictures. In her statement she also claims that Soref was in control and used her in the schemes, with many things going on she was not aware of. She left Scientology in 2009, and regrets placing her trust in Soref. She goes in to state “To date, Soref claims no responsibility for the investors. He claims he was unaware of anything financial and has handpicked a small amount of specific emails that he has provided to government agencies to try and prove Seward’s control. He has contacted “other Scientoogists”, such as people who made commissions off of Seward donations to help him go against Seward.” So it is clear […]
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Novato PD Earns Back-to-back CLEC Awards
NOVATO – On Thursday September 17, the Novato Police Department (NPD) issued a Community Bulletin announcing that the department has achieved top honors for its traffic safety program. Hundreds of law enforcement agencies throughout California participate in the annual California Law Enforcement Challenge (CLEC), which is a competition between the agencies to develop and implement the most innovative and comprehensive traffic safety programs in the state. The competition concentrates on the various departments’ strides towards dealing with impaired driving, occupant protection, speed awareness and specific traffic safety issues unique to the various agencies’ jurisdictions. CLEC allows the agencies to set comprehensive goals, reach higher levels of traffic safety, share their success stories so others may benefit, and be recognized for their accomplishments. Though some departments are singled out for outstanding achievements, they say the true rewards of law enforcement’s efforts in traffic safety are making differences in their communities by saving lives and reducing the frequency and severity of injuries caused by traffic collisions. Novato Police Department has been recognized by CLEC and has received the following awards from the CHP Commissioner’s Office: – First Place – Best Overall Traffic Safety Program among agencies with 1 to 75 sworn officers. (Second year in a row.) – First Place – Special Award of Occupant Protection among agencies with 1 to 75 sworn officers. (Second year in a row.) – Commissioners Award 2014 – Bestowed upon only one agency per year, regardless of size, for the best overall traffic safety program in California. (Second year in a row.)
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Man in Sac City College Brawl Returns to Court
SACRAMENTO—The suspect in a brawl earlier this month at Sacramento City College, which resulted in his being stabbed and another man fatally shot, appeared for a second time in court this week before Judge Ben Davidian. Charlie Hola, 19, appeared in Sacramento Superior Court on Wednesday, September 16, as well as Monday, September 14. Attorneys continued to sort out evidence in his alleged robbery of a Church’s Chicken on Florin Road on September 3. Hola faces allegations of robbery and being a felon in possession of a firearm, after police say they found the weapon at his residence following the fatal fight that happened at approximately 4:00 p.m. on September 3 in the busy parking lot of the campus near Sutterville Road. Records show that Hola was previously arrested last year, when he was 18. He, along with Tevita Tikoni Kaihea and Sione Koloamatangi were arrested on July 5 of 2014 by Sacramento Police on charges of carrying a loaded firearm with the intent to commit a felony. Koloamatangi was also charged with assault with a deadly weapon. The brawl at Sacramento City College left Roman P. Gonzalez, 25, dead of a gunshot wound, and Gonzalez’s cousin, Rico Ridgeway, 24, grazed by another round. Gonzales and Ridgeway were in a confrontation with Hola and another man described as a Pacific Islander wearing a white shirt and tan cargo shorts. The man, suspected of shooting and killing Gonzalez and grazing Ridgeway, remains at large. Ridgeway and Gonzalez both have prior convictions that include weapons offenses. Ridgeway made a desperate attempt to perform CPR on Gonzalez that many students recorded on their cellphones. Police arrested Ridgeway the next day for assault with a deadly weapon. Hola was hospitalized for several days following the attack. He was released from the hospital on September 5 and booked into Sacramento County Jail. Ridgeway, who is accused of stabbing Hola, was released from jail and returns to court on September 22.
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Police Still Looking For Watsonville Shooting Suspect
Stay Bullet Entered Martial Arts Studio WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville Police Department is still trying to answer the question of who fired five shots into a vehicle Monday evening on East Lake Street in Watsonville. Their only clues are from witnesses who told police that a male in a black hooded sweatshirt fired the shots and left in a silver colored car. On Monday September 14, a 6:07 pm, Watsonville Police Officers responded to the area of Alma Street and Nevada Street, by the Watsonville Elks Club, on a report of shots fired at a vehicle. The officers arrived on scene a short time later and located several witnesses. They told police that they saw a male wearing a black hooded sweatshirt fire approximately five shots into the vehicle, and then flee the scene in a getaway vehicle that had been parked on Alma Street. The target vehicle fled the scene heading down East Lake Street, and out of the area. Police have a description of the targeted vehicle – a black small size SUV with tinted windows, with one possibly shattered due to the bullets. The suspect’s vehicle was described as being a silver sedan, possibly a Honda. Neither the vehicles nor their occupants were ever located. Police have recovered one of the bullets used in the shooting, as one strayed off its intended path and found its way through an open door, just piercing a punching bag before lodging itself in a wall of a local martial arts studio. The shot traveled across the Elks Lodge parking lot, East Lake Avenue and the East Lake Shopping Center parking lot before reaching the building. At the time of the incident the Taekwondo Academy was filled with 20 students, and well as parents and staff. Fortunately, no one was injured from the stray bullet entering the Taekwondo Academy. This is an active investigation, and anyone with information is encouraged to call the Watsonville Police Department at 831-471-1151.
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Man with Hammer Arrested for Domestic Violence
The San Luis Obispo Sheriff’s Office arrested a man for assault with a deadly weapon after he allegedly threatened his girlfriend and her family with a hammer on Tuesday. According to the sheriff’s office, they received several 911 calls regarding an incident on the 800 block of Highland Drive in Los Osos. Investigators state around 9:13 p.m. a man who was identified as Chad Lindsey Harsch, Jr., 23, Los Osos was living at the residence and began arguing with his girlfriend who was also living at the same residence. It is unknown what the argument was about. Investigators also stated that the young woman’s parents, who also live at the residence, overheard Harsch making threats against them. The parents, who were not identified, told investigators they became fearful for their lives, so the father retrieved his shotgun for protection. According to the sheriff’s office, both the suspect and victim were outside the home at this point. It was reported Harsch advanced toward the father, who fired one warning shot into the air. Harsch then picked up a hammer and again advanced toward the father. At the same time, Harsch began to vandalize a car parked outside the house. When deputies arrived on the scene, they were able to de-escalate the situation. No one was injured. Harsch was arrested and booked into SLO County Jail for assault with a deadly weapon and for making criminal threats. His bail was set at $50,000.
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