News

Merced County Man Pleads Guilty to Heroin Conspiracy

FRESNO - Otoniel Cardenas-Torres, 33, of Delhi, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to distribute heroin, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, Cardenas received $13,500 from a confidential source for the delivery of 3 pounds of heroin to the confidential source by Cardenas’s brother. The heroin deal had been arranged by a Mexican source of drug supply, who orchestrated a string of heroin transactions through couriers, including co-defendants Robert Palacios-Garcia, 38, of Huntington Park; Daniel Quiroz, 41, of Los Angeles; and Juan Medina, 29, of Manteca.

The Madera Fair Offers Tons of Fun and Discounts for its 2023 Run.

MADERA - Remember the days of the local community fair, where folks competed to be recognized for the best homemade jelly or the biggest home-grown pumpkin? Where you could watch the 4H and FFA kids collect ribbons for the animals and projects they had been working on all year. You could shop all the vendor booths for items you can only find at the fair, and there were always fun carnival rides and midway games to play. Not to mention treating yourself to all the corndogs and cotton candy you could eat. Well, the good news is that it is that time again!

The Madera District Fair kicks off its four-day run on September 7 with local service clubs and vendors selling all your favorite fair foods. How long has it been since you have had a Jumbo Corndog or Frozen Banana? In addition, all your favorite fair acts will be roaming the grounds, waiting to entertain you with magicians, ventriloquists, jugglers, music, and more. Let’s not forget about characters walking around the fair ready to entertain your family. While there will not be a fireworks show, there will be a nightly drone light show over the fairgrounds that will be like nothing you have ever seen before in the valley. The Midway of Fun will be back with all your favorite carnival rides and games, and let us not forget the hours of entertainment on all of the fair’s stages. This year the gate admissions during the fair will be $15 for adults over 13 years of age and $10 for seniors; Kids 12 and under enter for FREE all four days of the fair courtesy of Valley Children’s Healthcare when accompanied by an adult.

Former Fresno IRS Employee Sentenced to 14 Months in Prison for Selling Morphine and Contributing to Co-worker’s Death

FRESNO - Margarita Aispuro-Camacho, 46, of Fresno, was sentenced today to 14 months in prison for illegally selling morphine and contributing to the death of her co-worker at the Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court records, in May 2020, the police found the victim dead in an apartment in Clovis. A toxicology report confirmed the victim died from an overdose of morphine and other prescription drugs. Importantly, the victim did not have a prescription for morphine.

Bakersfield Dentist Pleads Guilty to Stealing $500,000 in COVID-19 Relief Money

FRESNO - Ranjan Rajbanshi, D.D.S., 46, of Bakersfield and Santa Barbara, pleaded guilty today to stealing $500,000 in COVID-19 relief money, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court records, Rajbanshi ran a dental practice in Bakersfield and Santa Barbara. From April 2020 through February 2022, he received over $850,000 in COVID-19 relief money from the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). He represented to the government that he would only use the relief money for specified business purposes such as facility costs, payroll, and protective equipment for himself and his staff.

Missouri Man Pleads Guilty to Interstate Marijuana Shipment from Fresno

FRESNO = David Agustus McGowan, 63, of Kansas City, Missouri, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana that was shipped from Fresno to Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, in November 2018, McGowan’s co-defendants Patrick Maldonado, 47, of Madera; Elias Zambrano Jr., 43, of Fresno; Tan Minh Vo, 50, of San Jose; Tien Van Phan, 58, of Milpitas; and Halen Frazier, 37, of Kingsville, Missouri, coordinated the shipment of nearly 500 pounds of marijuana to Frazier in Kansas City. The first shipment was seized from Frazier during a traffic stop after Phan delivered 92 pounds of marijuana to him in two suitcases at a hotel in Kansas City.

Man Charged for Sexual Assault in Sequoia National Park

FRESNO - A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment today against Luis Eduardo Sanchez-Azpeitia, 46, of Mexico City, charging him with sexual abuse and abusive sexual contact, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on July 31, 2023, Sanchez-Azpeitia entered a woman’s cabin in Sequoia National Park and committed one act of sexual assault and acts of abusive sexual contact. The victim did not consent to any of the defendant’s sexual conduct, repeatedly told the defendant no, and tried to make him stop his sexual advances.

Oakhurst Park & Ride Features NEW Visitor Information Kiosk and Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Station

OAKHURST - Visit Yosemite | Madera County, in collaboration with Madera County, is pleased to announce the completion of the enhanced Park & Ride services and Visitor Information Kiosk project located adjacent to the Oakhurst Library. This completed project offers visitors and residents a convenient solution for accessing local dining, shopping, entertainment, information, and local maps, free parking, as well as four charging stations for those traveling with electric vehicles.

Madera County has taken significant steps to cater to the growing need for sustainable transportation options by installing Electric Vehicle charging stations around the county. The Oakhurst Park & Ride is now equipped with four EV charging stations, available at a rate of $0.20/kWh and free for the first 240 minutes with $5/hour after, encouraging environmentally conscious travel for electric car owners. Moreover, the inclusion of the Madera County Connection bus stop and Oakhurst Trolley stop further underlines the commitment to expanding public transportation solutions that extend the charm of Oakhurst to the broader region.