Local News

Three Germans Who Allegedly Operated Dark Web Marketplace with over 1 Million Users Face U.S. Narcotics and Money Laundering Charges

SACRAMENTO - Following a nearly two-year international investigation involving U.S. law enforcement and authorities in Germany and the Netherlands, federal prosecutors have charged three German nationals with being the administrators of Wall Street Market (WSM), which was one of the world’s largest dark web marketplaces that allowed vendors to sell a wide variety of contraband, including an array of illegal narcotics, counterfeit goods and malicious computer hacking software. A Brazilian national was also charged for allegedly acting as a moderator for WSM.

A criminal complaint filed Wednesday in United States District Court in Los Angeles alleges that the three defendants, who currently are in custody in Germany, were the administrators of WSM, a sophisticated online marketplace available in six languages that allowed approximately 5,400 vendors to sell illegal goods to about 1.15 million customers around the world.

SHARE THE ROAD: May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month

FRESNO - The warmer weather means a lot more motorcycles will be out on the road across California. May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, and the Fresno Police Department is taking the opportunity to remind drivers and motorcycle riders to share the road and look out for one another.

During the month of May, the Fresno Police Department will step up enforcement specifically geared toward stopping drivers and motorcycle riders for traffic violations that increase the risk of crashes. A motorcycle safety enforcement operation is planned for May 5th, 2019 to coincide with motorcycle club festivities scheduled in Fresno over the Cinco de Mayo weekend.

Brandon Johns Sentenced to State Prison

MADERA - Earlier this year, Brandon Johns (33) called a number expecting to talk to a 13 year old girl who did not know him. Instead, the 13 year old girl’s mother answered the phone. Undeterred, Johns kept contacting the number trying to talk to the 13 year old. Ultimately the 13 year old, very bravely, spoke to Johns on the phone as her mother listened.

When Johns tried to engage in a sexual conversation with the 13 year old, the mother terminated the call immediately and notified law enforcement. The mother ultimately was able to provide information to law enforcement officers that enabled them to identify and arrest Johns, who was previously convicted of sending harmful matter to minors in Fresno County.

Delano Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography

FRESNO - Steven Andrew Dobson, 33, of Delano, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill to 10 years in prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, for receiving and distributing child pornography, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, from approximately March 1, 2016, through November 11, 2016, in Kern County, Dobson was found to have received and distributed through the internet between 150 and 300 images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The images also involved depictions of violence, and included depictions of prepubescent minors.

Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Marijuana Cultivation in Wilderness Area

FRESNO - Mauricio Vaca-Bucio (Vaca), 31, of Michoacán, Mexico, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute marijuana, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. According to court documents, Vaca and his co-defendants Felipe Angeles Valdez‑Colima, 35, and Rodolfo Torres-Galvan, 29, also of Mexico, were apprehended after a two-month investigation in the Kiavah Wilderness, a federally designated wilderness area in the Sequoia National Forest. Law enforcement officers saw Torres and Valdez emerge from the forest and enter a Camaro driven by Vaca.

They were subsequently stopped in Weldon. Officers found freshly harvested marijuana in the Camaro and located over 1,800 marijuana plants at the grow site on the trail that led to the drop point. The officers also found deadly illegal pesticides, including carbofuran and zinc phosphide, in both the vehicle and at the grow site. In pleading guilty, Vaca agreed to pay over $7,000 in restitution to the U.S. Forest Service for the damage he caused to the National Forest.